‘Focused’ Harmanpreet keen to see India continuing Asia Cup domination

When it comes to the Women’s Asia Cup, the script usually goes like this: India come, India see, India conquer.

There have been eight editions of the Women’s Asia Cup — which began in 2004 — and India have been crowned champions seven times. 2018 was the only time the Women in Blue failed to lift the trophy.

This time around, they will once again enter another Asia Cup as firm favorites, having won seven of their last eight T20Is.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is keen to see the side extend its dominance in the competition.

"The challenge will be to keep doing the right things which we have done in the past Asia Cups, keep playing the same type of cricket, and keep dominating other teams and enjoy our cricket," Harmanpreet said at the press conference ahead of India’s first game. 

The Women in Blue will begin their Asia Cup 2024 campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan. Though the rivalry has been a bit one-sided of late — India have won six of the last seven H2H clashes in T20Is — the stakes will always be high in an India-Pakistan clash.

But the India skipper wants to put the hype aside and treat the contest like every other clash.

"We always enjoy playing against Pakistan but each and every team is important. Whenever we go and play, we always want to play good cricket and we will follow the same method," Harmanpreet said.

India, as mentioned above, will enter the competition as outright favorites but Harmanpreet asserted that the team will not buy into their own hype.

"This tournament is very important for all of us because we give equal respect to this tournament and want to improve at the Asian as well as at the world level.

"So our focus will remain the same as we prepare for the T20 World Cup or any other World Cup. Each and every game is important for us and we will try to give our best," the India skipper said.

Pakistan skipper Nida Dar, meanwhile, stated that this Asia Cup will be a great opportunity for her side to learn from a team like India, who have been dominant and consistent, particularly in this format, over the last few years.

"We just wanted to play against India because we had some good experiences and the way they are playing is great. Their approach in T20 is great, we have seen their approach. So this series is very important as at least we can learn from them," Dar said.

The two sides will clash against each other on July 19 (Friday) in Dambulla.

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