'India will be the team to beat but needs to be wary of Australia' - Harbhajan Singh ahead of Women's T20 World Cup 2024

With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup set to commence on October 3, all eyes are on Team India as they look to create 'HerStory' in their pursuit of a maiden title. India will begin their campaign on October 4 against New Zealand and ahead of their tournament opener, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh shared his thoughts on the four opponents in the group stage and who Team India should be most wary of  

“I think India needs to be very careful when playing against Australia. Looking at this group, India has Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. All these matches will definitely be important. But one match that I think will be a little tough is the India-Australia match, Harbhajan told Star Sports.

“Australia is a good team, even though these matches are being played in Dubai, on subcontinent pitches that might not suit them as much as their home conditions. But Australia, no matter where they play, are hard to beat. So, the biggest challenge for India may be Australia. Sri Lanka, too, after their recent series win against India, will be confident when they play against India. So, that will also be a good contest,” he added. 

Harbhajan also spoke about the Women in Blue's chances at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, saying, “Team India will be the team to beat in this tournament. The World Cup is about to start, and I think India’s team is very strong. They have both experience and youth. Harman is in good form, Smriti is in good form, and Deepti is an unbelievable spinner. They are a very capable team and have been playing very good cricket. The unit looks solid. If Team India plays good cricket overall, I believe they will win this tournament.”

Harbhajan further advised India to keep things simple in their pursuit of writing #HerStory. He said, “You have to try to give your best and not take pressure. At this stage, the only thing that matters is Gurda, Jigra. Know yourself, play as a unit, and give your best. Results will follow. Don’t think about the big picture; just take small steps with each match and focus on the process. I hope if they follow these things, our team will perform very well.”