'It is a Huge and Very Proud Moment' – Indian Test captain praises Harmanpreet Kaur ahead of Women’s World Cup

Indian Test captain Shubman Gill has lauded women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur for her aggressive batting style and remarkable journey. The 26-year-old recalled watching Kaur practice outside his academy in Punjab, hitting bowlers to all corners of the ground, and praised her rise from a small town to leading India on the global stage.

Gill told JioHotstar (via IANS), “When I was about 10 or 11 years old, she used to come to the academy where I practiced outside and used to play matches with us. I clearly remember her smashing our bowlers all over the park. As a kid, that was a rare sight for me. She batted very aggressively, which was quite different at that time.” He further added, “When anyone rises through the ranks, especially from our region in Punjab, and goes on to captain the country, it is a huge and very proud moment. To see Harmanpreet doing that with such immense pride and joy is truly exciting.”

Kaur, who will lead India in her first ODI World Cup starting September 30 in Guwahati, has been part of every ODI World Cup since 2009 and was a member of the Indian side that finished runners-up in 2017 at Lord’s. Her experience and leadership are expected to be crucial for India in the upcoming tournament.

Suryakumar Yadav Confident in Jemimah Rodrigues

Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav also expressed confidence in Jemimah Rodrigues ahead of the World Cup. “It’s always good to see someone from your home city (Mumbai) who has played so many local games, represented the state, and then gone on to play for India. Not just in World Cups, but also in bilateral series. Jemimah has always been a great performer,” Yadav said.

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He added, “Playing the World Cup is a huge opportunity, and I’m sure she will deliver because she’s a great teammate, always helping everyone around. As we all have seen, she brings amazing energy to the ground as well.” India will kick off their campaign against Sri Lanka at Guwahati on September 30, with two warm-up matches against England and New Zealand at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.