Riding high on the historic high of their ICC Women's World Cup victory in November, the Indian women's cricket team is set to embark on a new journey. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her champion squad reunite to face Sri Lanka in a five-match T20 International series, starting in Visakhapatnam. This series marks the crucial first step in their preparation for the next major challenge: the T20 World Cup in the United Kingdom, just six months away.
From One World Cup to Another: The Reset Begins
Addressing the media ahead of the series opener, Harmanpreet Kaur reflected on the monumental win while firmly setting sights on the future. She dismissed the notion of needing to forget the past to focus on the present. "The T20 format is one the entire team loves the most. We need to remember the things which have given us the result to be part of this stage," the skipper stated, indicating a desire to carry the winning momentum forward.
However, the shift in format presents its own set of questions. While India has been a consistent force in ODI cricket, reaching two World Cup finals in eight years, their record in the shortest format has been less dominant. The team's performance in the last T20 World Cup in the UAE was below expectations, failing to reach the semi-finals. This series against Sri Lanka is an opportunity to build a robust T20 blueprint and address past inconsistencies.
New Faces in Familiar Territory
While the core of the World Cup-winning team remains intact, the selectors have introduced fresh talent to the mix. Wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini from Tamil Nadu, who shares a dressing room with Harmanpreet at Mumbai Indians, gets her maiden call-up. Her inclusion offers an option behind the stumps, where first-choice keeper Richa Ghosh faced scrutiny during the World Cup.
The other new entrant is Madhya Pradesh's left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma. Despite being overlooked at the recent Women's Premier League auction, Sharma's impressive performances at the U19 World Cup and in domestic cricket have earned her a national berth. With N Sree Charani establishing herself as the premier left-arm spinner, India will hope Vaishnavi can provide depth and variety to the attack.
"We want to play a lot of T20 cricket. We have some new players in the team. It’s the right time to give them a fair chance to understand how we have to go in the next World Cup," Harmanpreet explained, highlighting the dual goals of winning and team-building.
The Road to the UK: Schedule and Stakes
The five-match series will be played across two venues. The action begins with two matches at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 21 and 23. The teams will then move to Thiruvananthapuram for the final three matches on December 26, 28, and 30. All matches will start at 7:00 PM IST.
For the Indian team, this is more than just a bilateral series. It is the foundational phase of a six-month campaign aimed at conquering another world title. Every match, every combination tried, and every strategy tested will be geared towards peaking at the mega-event in the UK next year. The series against Sri Lanka is where the journey from champions to potential double-world champions truly begins.
