‘We are just going to focus on that’ – Harmanpreet Kaur on clash of 20-20 World Cup and Women’s T20 League auction

The Women’s T20 League auction will soon take place, but India Women’s Cricket Team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur emphasized that they are entirely focused on their 20-20 World Cup opening game against Pakistan. She also expressed about their goal of replicating the U19 girls’ title-winning performance. On February 13, the day following India’s 20-20 World Cup opener against Pakistan, the Women’s T20 League auction is scheduled to take place in Mumbai.

“Before that [the auction], we have a very important game and we are just going to focus on that. The World Cup is more important than anything else. Our focus is on the World Cup. These things will keep coming, and as a player, you know what’s important for you and how you need to keep your focus,” Women in Blue skipper asserted in a 20-20 World Cup captains’ press conference.

I think you’d be naive to think that it’s not going to be a distraction: Meg Lanning

Shefali Verma, who led the Under 19 team to the title added one more title under her name. “After watching the U19 World Cup, we are motivated to do what they have done. They have motivated us to do well, they have done it and we have not done it yet,” Harmanpreet said.

The T20 World Cup’s opening week’s Women’s T20 League auction, according to Australia and New Zealand women’s team captains Meg Lanning and Sophie Devine, that it will be difficult. It is the “elephant in the room,” according to Devine, who believes that players will find it difficult to ignore.

“It’s going to be awkward … some people are going to get picked up, some won’t, and you’re going to get a value attached to what you’re worth, which as human beings isn’t the nicest thing, but it’s also a job and it’s what we’ve put our names in for,” Devine said.

“It’s such a unique experience, I think you’d be naive to think that it’s not going to be a distraction, it’s just how you handle that. But I just think it’s such an enormous step forward for women’s cricket and I’m really looking forward to it (but) there’s a World Cup going on at the same time, so how we manage that is (going to be important),” Lanning on Devine’s statement.