Harmanpreet Kaur, set to lead India in the T20 World Cup in the UAE next month, recently reflected on her challenging cricket journey. Coming from a place with little cricketing presence, her path to the top was far from easy.
India will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign on October 4 against New Zealand, followed by a clash with arch-rivals Pakistan on October 6. They will also face Australia and Sri Lanka in Group A. Harmanpreet, who led India to the semi-finals in the last edition, credited her family’s support for helping her achieve her dreams.
“It has been a beautiful journey. I come from a city where there was no cricket, and playing professionally was not easy. But my family supported me a lot, and today, when I look back, it feels good. A lot of people appreciate it,” she shared on Star Sports.
Harmanpreet also expressed her joy at seeing parents now encouraging their children to pursue sports. “When I started, no one saw sports as a career. But now, parents want their kids to play and choose sports as a profession. The way parents think has changed, and it feels good to see that. In the past, only a few parents supported this, but now, parents take pride if their child excels in sports. That is a big change,” she said.
She also highlighted the unique opportunities sports provide to interact with people from different backgrounds. “In sports, you share the dressing room with people from various states and learn about their cultures. It’s a beautiful feeling, and all the girls on the team are really nice and humble,” Harmanpreet added.