Harmanpreet watches Asia Cup rematch vs. Sri Lanka and challenges India to keep it simple
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur wants her team to avoid overthinking when they take on Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final, with the skipper stressing the need to trust their strengths and keep a simple approach.
The final also gives India a chance to even the score from the previous edition. Sri Lanka stun India in 2024 final, chasing 166 with eight wickets in hand to lift the title.
However, Harmanpreet does not want her players to be involved in the result of the previous encounter. He believes the final will be decided by which side will do better on the day.
“Whenever you play a match that is so important to win the tournament, on that day it’s all about playing to your strength and supporting your strength,” Harmanpreet said in the pre-final press conference.
“Rather than trying too many things and thinking you’re going to do something extraordinary, it’s all about sticking to your strength, supporting yourself and trusting your feelings.”
India and Sri Lanka were the two strongest teams in the tournament and now they will clash for the title. Harmanpreet sees nothing separating them and said there is no point in building one team over the other.
“The last time we played Sri Lanka, they came with really solid plans and solid performances. T20 is about whoever plays the best cricket on the day, wins,” she said.
“There is no doubt that any team is stronger or that any team is smaller than anyone else. It’s all about playing good cricket on an important day.”
The captain was also encouraged by the contributions coming in from across the Indian unit. Various players stepped in when the team needed them during the tournament.
“Everyone in the team is very important and their contribution means a lot to us. It’s good to see whoever gets the opportunity put in some really solid performances,” she said.
“Our batting unit put themselves in tough situations and still managed to get runs on the board, while whenever we’re rolling, our pitchers have had really solid performances.”
The batting has not been straightforward in Dubai and Harmanpreet believes the Indian batsmen will have to adapt rather than trying to force the pace from the start.
“It’s a bit tough to bat on this pitch, but at the same time we need to back ourselves, back up our power. We know we have such a good batting line-up,” she said.
Her message was clear: once the dough is ready, she must make the most of it.
“You really have to spend some time and then you can go for your shot. Whoever is balanced, that person has to take responsibility and play until the end,” she said.
Harmanpreet expects the Sri Lankan bowlers to stick to their plans after seeing how effectively they performed in the tournament.
Sri Lanka will also have a big batting threat in Chamari Athapaththu. India want to remove the opener early, but they are not only planning around her.
“We definitely want to take her wicket as early as possible because we know how dangerous she is when she’s batting. We want to come up with some solid plans against her, not only against her but against all the batting,” Harmanpreet said.
Lottery is another factor that the Indian captain does not want to worry about. After spending nearly two weeks playing in the conditions, she feels India know what to expect.
“I don’t put any pressure on myself because throwing is something I can’t control. We’ve been playing here for almost two weeks. We know the conditions, the pitch and I think it’s all about trusting your plans, trusting your gut and backing it up,” she said.
Harmanpreet also warned her players not to try too hard to produce something special in the final.
“We saw that whenever we try to do something special or something extraordinary, we always make so many mistakes,” she said.
Avoiding mistakes can be just as important to her as creating winning moments.
“Tomorrow’s game is about confidence and trying to make less mistakes on the field. The team that makes less mistakes in an important game has more chances to win.”
The India captain is also hoping for a strong support from the stands and the Indian fans are expected to turn out for the title fight.
“They have been our biggest strength whenever we play. They come and cheer for us. They play a big role in our lives,” she said.
“When the stadium is full, you feel more positive and want to do more for your team. They mean a lot to us and hopefully they will come to support the teams tomorrow.”
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
13 Sep 2026 12:16 IST