India look to break 'final barrier' in Women's World Cup
The 13th edition of the women's showpiece 50-over tournament will begin on September 30, with co-hosts India set to face Sri Lanka in the opener in Bengaluru.
The Indian women made it to two ODI World Cup finals but lost on both occasions — going down to England by nine runs the last time around in 2017 at Lord's.
Kaur, who made a valiant 51 runs in the final, will be leading India for the first time in the marquee tournament.
"Playing in front of a home crowd is always special, and hopefully, this time we will give our 100 percent and finally break that barrier that all Indian fans are waiting for," Kaur said.
"World Cups are always special, and we always want to do something special" for the country, she said at an International Cricket Council event in Mumbai.
Kaur's India are fresh from a series win in England, where they beat the hosts 3-2 in T20 matches and 2-1 in three 50-overs games.
"(The confidence is) very high. The kind of cricket we've played over the last couple of years, gives us a lot of confidence," said the top-order batter.
India opener Smriti Mandhana said the women's team has witnessed a change in mindset over the years.
"There's a calmness with which I want to go about on the field," said Mandhana at the event, which marked the 50-day countdown to the tournament.
"Our whole team is heading in that direction. We know where we want to work hard. And when we enter the field, we know we've just got to implement."
Pakistan will play all their matches in Colombo as part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.
The final will be played on November 2 either in Bengaluru or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan reach the title clash.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
14 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Pakistan squad for T20I tri-series, ACC Asia Cup announced; match dates revealed
The Pakistan squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series and Asia Cup set to be played in the UAE was announced on Sunday, August 17. The tri-series, featuring Afghanistan, Pakistan and UAE will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7. Meanwhile, the eight-team ACC Asia Cup T20I tournament will be staged in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 2 to 28. Pakistan are placed in Group 'A' alongside India, Oman and UAE. The Men's National Selection Committee announced the 17-member Pakistan squad as follows: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim. Schedules revealed The committee also revealed the schedules of the trie-series matches and the ACC Asia Cup T20 2025. All the tri-series matches are set to be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Here are the dates. August 29: Afghanistan v Pakistan at 7pm August 30: UAE v Pakistan at 7pm September 1: UAE v Afghanistan at 7pm September 2: Pakistan v Afghanistan at 7pm September 4: Pakistan v UAE at 7pm September 5: Afghanistan v UAE at 7pm local time September 7: Final match at 7pm ACC Asia Cup T20 2025 (Pakistan fixtures, Super Fours and Final): September 12: Oman v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm September 14: India v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm September 17: UAE v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm September 20-26: Super Fours fixtures (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) September 28: Final, DICS, 6pm
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Lionel Messi to go on multi-city India tour; stops revealed
Lionel Messi's long-rumoured trip to India is official. The Argentine superstar will arrive in Kolkata on December 12 to begin a four-city tour that has been titled the 'GOAT Tour of India 2025', event promoter Satadru Dutta confirmed to PTI. Messi's India journey will take him through Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, before it concludes with an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 15. The visit marks his first appearance in the country since 2011, when he led Argentina against Venezuela in a Fifa friendly at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. Dutta first met Messi's father to present the idea, before holding a 45-minute discussion with the footballer at his home on February 28, the Indian news agency reported. While organisers have hinted that Messi could be joined by Inter Miami teammates such as Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, no names have been confirmed yet. The GOAT Cup will be a friendly match where Messi is expected to share the field with Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham and Bhaichung Bhutia. Ticket prices are likely to start from Rs3,500. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also reportedly felicitate Messi during his Kolkata leg.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Bob Simpson, former Australian cricket captain and coach, dies at 89
Former Australian cricket captain and coach Bob Simpson has died aged 89, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praising the all-rounder for his "extraordinary service" to the sport. Cricket Australia confirmed his death in Sydney in a statement on Saturday. Simpson played 62 Test matches, captaining Australia in 39, at an average of 46.81. He grew up in Sydney and first toured with Australia in 1957, becoming one of the best all-round cricketers to play for the country. It took until his 30th Test for Simpson to break his first century — achieving 311 runs at Old Trafford in 1964. He retired after the 1967 series, but made a comeback a decade later, aged 41, during the World Series Cricket era. Albanese said Saturday that Simpson's "extraordinary service to Australian cricket spanned generations". "As a player, captain and then era-defining coach, he set the highest of standards for himself and the champions he led," the prime minister wrote on social media. "He will be long remembered by the game he loved." Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said Simpson was a "mainstay of a very strong Australian team in the 1960s, and he became a leader across the game as Australian and New South Wales captain and as a coach". "Bob's decision to come out of retirement to successfully lead the Australian team during the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977 was a wonderful service to the game, and his coaching set the foundation for a golden generation for Australian cricket," Baird said in a statement. Simpson became Australia's first full-time coach in the 1980s, leading the team's re-emergence and overseeing several top players, including Shane Warne. Simpson was inducted in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. He achieved 21,029 runs at an average of 56.22 in first-class cricket, hit 60 centuries and took 349 wickets at an average of 38.07, according to the Sports Australia Hall of Fame.
