The void left by Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami is not easy to fill, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur conceded on Monday, but also asserted that her young side has grown substantially to be a top contender for this month’s women’s T20 World Cup.

Mithali retired from T20 cricket last year while Jhulan played in the format before the 2018 edition. The average age of India’s squad in Australia is 22.8 with Harmanpreet being among the seasoned ones.

“We already miss the experience they share with us, but these young girls are showing their talent and ability,” said the 29-year-old, while speaking at the captains’ media day at the Taronga Zoo here.

The captains of the 10 countries participating in the Women's T20 World Cup pose fore a photo with the trophy in Sydney on Monday (AP)

The T20 World Cup will open with a clash between India and defending champions Australia in Adelaide on Friday.

“In the last two years, I’ve gone from being the youngest to one of the oldest in the team,” Harmanpreet said.

She is still not over the disappointment of missing the ODI world title in 2017 and Harmanpreet said the T20 World Cup trophy would go a long way in making up for that debacle.

The India women came tantalisingly close to winning the ICC ODI World Cup three years ago, losing to hosts England by nine runs in the final.

“Our team is growing day by day, everyone is looking so positive,” Harmanpreet said. “It’s going to be very big if we win, I was very surprised at all the reaction from 2017. We will try to give our best.”