"She is doing fine" - Smriti Mandhana confirms Harmanpreet Kaur fit to lead India in 2024 Women's T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka
Team India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has confirmed that Harmanpreet Kaur is fit to lead the team in their 2024 T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Wednesday, October 9. The Indian skipper had retired hurt with the team on the verge of victory in their previous match against Pakistan.
The Women in Blue beat their arch-rivals by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday, October 6. Chasing a target of 106, they got home in 18.5 overs. Harmanpreet retired on 29 off 24. She hurt her neck while attempting to save herself from getting stumped.
At a press conference ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup match against Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka, Mandhana confirmed the Indian captain's availability for the must-win clash. She said (as quoted by PTI):
"She (Harman) is doing fine and she will be fine for tomorrow (Wednesday)."
The 28-year-old, though, added that there's no certainty over the fitness of all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, who was forced to miss the match against Pakistan.
"Pooja, I think the medical team is still working on her. So, the update will come only tomorrow during the match. But yeah, I don't think I can say anything at the moment," Mandhana commented.
The Indian vice-captain also shared her thoughts on the manner of India's chase, which was a subject of debate considering their poor net run rate. After having restricted Pakistan to a low score, fans and experts were expecting India to bat aggressively. Instead, the Women in Blue needed nearly 19 overs to win the game.
Mandhana, though, defended the team's approach and opined that the conditions haven't been easy for batting in the UAE. The opener said:
"It (run rate) definitely was last match, but as I said, the conditions are a lot different to what you expect as a batter so you are probably thinking to get that run rate high and also you firstly you have to win the match first that's the first priority for us," said Mandhana.
"So, it's a balance between trying to find out what's the best for the team. Of course, you know in the last match I couldn't like I started off fine but then later on I consumed a few dot balls which was a little irritating for me...," she elaborated.
India need to win both their remaining Group A matches by big margins to stay in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals.
Smriti Mandhana yet to make an impact with the bat in the T20 World Cup
One of the reasons India have struggled with the bat is because Mandhana hasn't been at her fluent best. Opening the innings, she has failed to get India off to good starts.
The seasoned left-handed batter was dismissed for 12 against New Zealand, caught at long-off off Eden Carson. Against Pakistan, she fell for seven off 16, slicing a full delivery from Sadia Iqbal to point.