'Played a big role in my life' - Harmanpreet Kaur on impact of Dhoni, Ganguly on her captaincy

Harmanpreet Kaur is set to lead India in the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup, which starts on February 10 in South Africa. Ahead of the tournament, Indian skipper Kaur opened up on how former men's team's captains Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni helped her in developing as a leader.

Ganguly and Dhoni are two of the most brilliant captains that Indian cricket ever produced and they took the Indian cricket team to new heights. Under Dhoni, India won three ICC trophies, whilst Ganguly built a squad capable enough to compete against top nations in the cricketing fraternity around the world during his time.

The Women in Blue skipper explained how the two legends of the game have had an impact on her and also mentioned that she has learnt plenty from watching old footages of Dhoni.

Ganguly, Dhoni have played a big role in my life: Harmanpreet Kaur

“MS Dhoni, we know how clever he was on the field. Today, if you watch his (Dhoni's) old match videos, you can still learn a lot of things from him. I have learned a lot from Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni. I always try to pick up small things that can help me and the team on the field. They have played a big role in my life when we talk about captaincy," she told Times of India.

“The way they led the team is something I really follow. When Sourav was leading the team, Indian men's cricket was growing. The way he (Sourav) was changing the atmosphere (in the dressing room) and trusting and backing the players," she added.

India will start their campaign in the World Cup on February 12 against arch-rivals Pakistan, but also have two warm-up games against Australia and Bangladesh on February 6 and February 8 respectively. India and Pakistan are grouped alongside West Indies, England and Ireland in Group 2. The Women in Blue would be hoping to qualify and make it to the semi-finals of the prestigious World Cup.