‘Important for us, wanted to win this series at any cost’- Harmanpreet Kaur on series win over New Zealand after T20 WC performance

After their disastrous 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, Harmanpreet Kaur’s Indian squad made a tremendous comeback by defeating New Zealand 2-1 in the ODI series. The hosts won the third ODI at Ahmedabad by a commanding six wickets, capping the series.

Following their unfortunate elimination from the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, when they were unable to advance to the semifinals, the team’s victory was particularly meaningful.

Harmanpreet Kaur talked candidly about the team’s outstanding series performance.

We wanted to win this series at any costs, therefore it was crucial for us. We talked about a number of things, and I’m glad we were able to carry them out today, as I mentioned in the morning. We always want to give it our all when we play, but occasionally things don’t work out as planned. Being a professional cricket player requires you to never give up. At the press conference following the game, Kaur stated, “We talked about these things in the team meeting, and I’m really happy we could bounce back after that loss in the last game.”

Smriti Mandhana had to be a little harsh with herself.

Smriti Mandhana, who led the team with her stunning tonne (100 off 122 balls) and broke the record for the eighth time in Indian history with her eighth ODI hundred, surpassed the great Mithali Raj, displayed batting genius in the final match. A major factor in the successful pursuit of 233 was Mandhana’s innings. Her collaboration with Harmanpreet, who was still undefeated at 59, was crucial to winning.

New Zealand started the game with 232, led by an outstanding 86 by Brooke Halliday. The White Ferns managed to reach a manageable total even though they lost important players, like as Sophie Devine to Priya Mishra’s googly and Suzie Bates to a run-out.

Throughout the innings, India’s bowling assault applied constant pressure. Shafali Verma‘s early departure caused an upset at the beginning of India’s chase, but Mandhana’s outstanding batting performance eventually steadied it.

Early on, I had to be a little harsh on myself and hold off on playing until the first ten overs were over. The harder method is what works for me. First, it must be done for the team. “I can’t sleep well because I feel like I’ve let the team down by leaving early,” Mandhana added.

Harmanpreet also addressed the team’s continued emphasis on fielding. The Women in Blue have been putting in a lot of effort to become the top fielding team by honing their fielding abilities.

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“We must continue to put in a lot of effort in the area of fielding, which we are always discussing. We’re putting in a lot of effort, but we’re just waiting for the results so we can be the best fielding team,” Kaur said.