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The picture of Harmanpreet Kaur lifting the ODI World Cup trophy in 2025 has already cemented her place in Indian cricket history. But before that victory came years of failures, heartbreaks and unfinished business in the T20 World Cup. As India prepare to take on Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday, Harmanpreet will be in action for her fifth Women’s T20 World Cup as captain.
Harmanpreet Kaur has led the national team in several T20 World Cups. Still the trophy cabinet is empty. In four campaigns as captain there has been one final, two semi-finals and one painful group-stage exit. Tonight provides the beginning of another opportunity to rewrite that story.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign
Harmanpreet Kaur’s T20 World Cup journey started long before she became the captain. In 2009 and 2010, she was a youth player in the India team under Jhulan Goswami. India reached the semi-finals in both editions, giving Harmanpreet her first taste of knockout cricket on the global stage.
The next three tournaments brought disappointment. India had group-stage exits in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Harmanpreet Kaur was a part of all three campaigns, leading India to repeated knockout round defeats.
Everything changed in 2018 when he led India in the T20 World Cup for the first time. India topped their group and reached the semi-finals before losing to England. This was an important step after three consecutive early exits.
The biggest opportunity came in 2020. India entered the final in front of 86,174 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the largest crowd in women’s cricket history. However, Australia dominated the final and bowled out India for 99, winning by 85 runs.
Three years later, India again came very close. Harmanpreet’s team lost to Australia by just five runs in a thrilling semi-final in South Africa.
Then came 2024. India entered the tournament with great expectations but failed to progress beyond the group stage. Despite Harmanpreet’s unbeaten inning of 54 runs, the nine-run defeat against Australia proved to be decisive.
The story of his four tournaments as captain has gone from promise to heartbreak and frustration. Now comes the fifth attempt.
What changed – ODI World Cup 2025 victory and why it matters tonight
The biggest difference between the last T20 World Cup and the 2026 edition is that this Indian team now knows how to win ICC trophies.
India ended its long wait for a major title by winning the ODI World Cup in 2025. That win removed the burden that had been on the team for years. Rather than enter another tournament with questions about handling pressure, India arrive as defending world champions in the 50-over format.
For Harmanpreet Kaur, the title validated her leadership after years of criticism following the T20 World Cup disappointment. Players like Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Shafali Verma now have the experience of succeeding on the biggest stage. He could prove invaluable in the high-pressure opener against Pakistan.
Harmanpreet vs Pakistan in T20I
Harmanpreet Kaur has had reasonable success against Pakistan in T20 Internationals, although she is still looking for a truly decisive innings against India’s arch-rivals.
|
Matchbox |
Turn |
it goes |
average |
strike rate |
highest score |
|
15 |
12 |
194 |
32.33 |
– |
34* |
Pakistan has defeated India twice in Women’s T20 World Cup history, in 2012 and 2016. Harmanpreet Kaur participated in both the tournaments. There were no defeats under his captaincy, but those results remain part of his long World Cup journey.
India will start as favorites with Pakistan entering the tournament following concerns over captain Fatima Sana’s fitness. But Harmanpreet knows from experience that India-Pakistan matches rarely live up to expectations.
The captain who refused to give up the armband
After India’s group-stage exit in 2024, questions were raised over Harmanpreet’s future as captain. However, the BCCI continued to support him.
This decision has been justified by the events of the last year. Harmanpreet continues to be one of India’s most impressive players and continues to perform well in major franchise tournaments. Her leadership was instrumental in Mumbai Indians winning multiple Women’s Premier League titles, including a match-winning inning of 66 not out off 44 balls in the 2025 final.
It was the right decision to keep Harmanpreet as captain. Just because of a disappointing tournament there should not be a change of leadership, especially when a player still commands respect in the dressing room and continues to perform.
India vs Pakistan Match – What Harmanpreet should do at Edgbaston
India are expected to field a strong batting line-up with Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh.
The biggest threat to Pakistan with the ball is their experienced spinners and disciplined middle overs attack. The challenge for Harmanpreet will be to balance aggression with control during the latter half of the innings.
A strategic decision may prove important. If India loses early wickets, promoting Richa Ghosh ahead of Harmanpreet could help maintain the scoring pace against Pakistan’s slow bowlers.
Captaincy will also be equally important. India’s bowling plan during the middle overs could determine whether Pakistan are allowed to build partnerships or remain under pressure during the chase.
