The Women’s Premier League (WPL) player auction is just around the corner but India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates are firmly focused on their T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan.

The WPL action is slated to be held on February 13 in Mumbai, a day after India’s T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan.

“Before that (the auction), we have a very important game and we are just going to focus on that,” Harmanpreet said at the T20 World Cup captains’ media conference.

“The World Cup is more important than anything else. Our focus is on the ICC trophy. These things will keep coming and, as a player, you know what’s important for you and how you need to keep your focus.

“We are all mature enough and know what is important for us,” she added.

Led by Shafali Verma, India team won the inaugural U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup last month. The senior side now wants to replicate the U-19 team’s success and add another ICC title to India’s trophy cabinet.

“After watching the -U19 World Cup, we are motivated to do what they have done. They have motivated us to do well, they have done it and we have not done it yet,” Harmanpreet said.

Speaking about the WPL, Harmanpreet hoped that the league will play a similar role in contributing to the growth of Indian women’s cricket like the Women’s Big Bash and The Hundred have done in Australia and England.

“It’s a really big day for all of us because we have been waiting for years and years now. We have seen how the WBBL and the Hundred have helped their countries improve their cricket. Hopefully, the same will happen for our country.”

Awkward timing?

While Harmanpreet chose not to think about the WPL auction, her New Zealand and Australia counterparts, Sophie Devine and Meg Lanning respectively, feel the timing of the auction is awkward.

Devine labelled it the “elephant in the room” as she feels players will struggle to not think about it.

“It’s going to be awkward… some people are going to get picked up, some won’t, and you’re going to get a value attached to what you’re worth, which as human beings isn’t the nicest thing, but it’s also a job and it’s what we’ve put our names in for,” Devine said.

Lanning echoed Devine’s thoughts as the entire Australian 15-member World Cup squad has registered for the auction.

Written with inputs from PTI

Batters key in T20 Cup

Calcutta: Former skipper Mithali Raj feels that for India to win the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, the onus will mainly be on the team’s batters.

In her column for the ICC, Mithali wrote: “India’s chances will be largely dependent on the top order. Smriti Mandhana is playing well and is a match-winner. Harmanpreet Kaur has looked in good form too, but if we have to beat Australia and England, you need other batters to come to the party.”

India, who played a tri-series in South Africa in the lead-up to the World Cup, begin their campaign on February 12 with a match against Pakistan in Cape Town.

“I hope Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh also have a good run at the World Cup considering they have gained so much experience of the conditions in South Africa,” Mithali added.

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