Harmanpreet eyes Asia Cup revenge vs Sri Lanka, urges India to keep it simple
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur wants her team to avoid overthinking when it takes on Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup final, with the skipper stressing the need to trust their strengths and keep their approach simple.
The final also gives India a chance to settle the score from the previous edition. Sri Lanka stunned India in the 2024 final, chasing down 166 with eight wickets in hand to lift the title.
Harmanpreet, though, does not want her players to get caught up in the result of the previous meeting. She believes the final will come down to which side executes better on the day.
"Whenever you are playing a match which is so important to win the tournament, that day it is all about just playing on your strength and backing your strength," Harmanpreet said at the pre-final press conference.
"Rather than trying too many things and thinking of doing something extraordinary, it is all about sticking to your strength, backing yourself and trusting your gut feeling."
India and Sri Lanka have been the two strongest teams in the tournament and will now meet for the title. Harmanpreet does not see much separating them and said there was no point putting one team above the other.
"Last time when we played against Sri Lanka, they came up with some really solid plans and solid performances. T20 is all about on a given day who is going to play the best cricket, they are going to win," she said.
"There is no doubt about any team being stronger or any team being lesser than anyone. It is all about playing good cricket on an important day."
The skipper has also been encouraged by the contributions coming from across the Indian squad. Different players have stepped up when the team needed them during the tournament.
"Everyone in the team is very important and their contribution means a lot to us. It is good to see that whoever is getting the opportunity, they are coming up with some really solid performances," she said.
"Our batting unit came up in difficult situations and still managed to get runs on the board, while whenever we are bowling, our bowlers have come up with some really solid performances."
Batting has not been straightforward in Dubai, and Harmanpreet believes India's batters will have to adjust rather than trying to force the pace from the start.
"This pitch is a little tough to bat on, but at the same time we just need to back ourselves, back our strength. We know we have such a good batting lineup," she said.
Her message was clear: once a batter gets set, she needs to make the most of it.
"You have to really spend some time and then you can go for your shot. Whoever is settled, that person needs to take the responsibility and play till the end," she said.
Harmanpreet expects Sri Lanka's bowlers to stick to their plans, having seen how effectively they have operated in the tournament.
Sri Lanka will also have a major batting threat in Chamari Athapaththu. India want to remove the opener early but are not planning solely around her.
"We definitely want to take her wicket as soon as possible because we know how dangerous she is when she is batting. We want to come up with some solid plans against her, not only against her, but all the batters," Harmanpreet said.
The toss is another factor the India captain does not want her team to worry about. Having spent nearly two weeks playing in the conditions, she feels India know what to expect.
"I don't put any pressure on myself because toss is something which I feel is not in my control. We have been playing here for almost two weeks. We know the conditions, the pitch, and I think it is all about trusting your plans, trusting your gut feeling and backing them," she said.
Harmanpreet also warned her players against trying too hard to produce something special in the final.
"We have seen whenever we are trying to do something special or something extraordinary, we have always made so many mistakes," she said.
For her, avoiding errors could be just as important as producing match-winning moments.
"Tomorrow's match is all about trusting yourself and trying to make fewer mistakes on the field. The team which makes fewer mistakes in an important game has more chances to win."
The India captain is also hoping for strong support from the stands, with Indian fans expected to turn up for the title clash.
"They have been our biggest strength whenever we are playing. They come and cheer for us. They play a big part in our lives," she said.
"When the stadium is packed, you feel more positive and you want to do more for your team. They mean a lot to us and hopefully they will come and cheer for the teams tomorrow."- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Sep 13, 2026 12:16 IST
