Harmanpreet plans to try out batters for all phases

SYLHET: India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has indicated that the Women’s Asia Cup, beginning here on Saturday, would be a lot about giving game time to the less experienced players as the team prepares for the T20 World Cup early next year.

The likes of Dayalan Hemalatha and Kiran Navgire were tried out in the preceding series in England, but could not make an impact. Jemimah Rodrigues has recovered from a wrist injury that ruled her out of the England series and is expected to play against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Opener Shafali Verma is under the scanner following a dismal run in England.

“A lot of T20Is are coming up ahead of the World Cup. Players who have not got enough chances can get match time before the World Cup. There are a lot of areas we can work on. We are going to see if somebody else can get a chance in the first six overs. Players can also be tried out in the middle overs and death overs. Even in bowling, we need to try and find the right team combination,” said Harmanpreet.

The T20 World Cup will be played in South Africa in February next year.

‘Shafali will get back among the runs’

Harmanpreet also backed 18-year-old Shafali to get back among the runs. “She is doing really well in the nets. Sometimes, you are not able to carry that form to the middle. You need to spend some time in the middle and I am sure that she will get her form back. Asia Cup will be a great platform for her. We will try to give her enough matches to get her confidence back,” Harmanpreet added.

Harmanpreet has been batting at her best of late and smashed a memorable 143 not out off just 111 balls in the second ODI against England. The India skipper said that she is enjoying the added responsibility as the leader of the pack.

On a rare series win in England, Harmanpreet said that the team’s long-term plans are finally bearing fruit. “When we went to England, we wanted to play good cricket. Practice sessions were calculative. We did not think of creating any history. Our plans were good and we got the results. We waited for it for a long time, so we were not surprised.”