India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur who played a captain’s knock of 68 off 43 to drag her team out of a fix in the 5th T20I vs Sri Lanka, said that shifting from ODIs to T20Is was tough, adding that 5-0 series win has given her side the motivation to raise its standards ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
“2025 has been great for us. All the hard work we have done, this year we have got the credit. Now, it’s about repeating these habits. Going forward, we want to look at this series and think of what we can do ahead. Shifting to T20 from ODI wasn’t easy but everyone was excited to play. We fought for this and were happy how all things came together. Next is WPL which is important for all of us. Hopefully, we play our best cricket and enjoy ourselves. Next six months are important, we want to keep working hard and raising the bar,” Harmanpreet said during the post-match presentation.
“All of us have played a lot of T20 cricket together. It was about believing we can do that. Sir (head coach Amol Muzumdar) spoke about strike rates and lifting the standards. Everyone was happy and we wanted to set that standard,” she said.
India blanked Sri Lanka 5-0 and completed a series whitewash after a 15-run win on Tuesday at Thiruvananthapuram.
Shafali Verma, who was adjudged Player of the Series after hammering three fifties in a row, said she has been working hard on her game.
“My work throughout the year has paid off. I will ensure that I don’t make the mistake I did today (getting out for 5). I will work harder and come back the next time.” The opener said T20 is her favourite format. “Both are different games. In ODI you have to play along the ground. T20 is my favourite, day by day I am improving and I will become a better player for the team,” she noted.
