Highlights
- India's women team will play against Australia in their maiden T20 World Cup final on Sunday
- Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's parents will watch her play for the first time in the final
- "India will win the World Cup," says Harmanpreet's father, Harmandar Singh
The glint of pride is unmissable in Harmander Singh’s eyes, who has flown in from India alongside his wife, Sukhwinder Kaur, to watch their daughter lead the unbeaten Indian side in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final against Australia.
After years of watching her batting the ball to the boundary, Mr Singh will now see Harmanpreet in action on international grounds for the first time on Sunday.
The Women in Blue, who swept through to the final after rain marred the semi-final match against England on Thursday, will take on four-time champions Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 8.
It was unfortunate that they could not watch Harmanpreet play in the semis, but Mr Singh says they are "very excited" to watch her "power India to victory in the Final" over the weekend.
“We are very excited about the final match on Sunday. We are positive that the Indian team will win the World Cup for the country,” says Mr Singh in an interview with SBS Punjabi.
Known to be a power-hitter, Harmanpreet has not been living up to her fans' expectations and there will no better match than the final to turn that around.
But the star skipper's father believes that leading a team itself is a “great achievement.”
“It is not easy to lead a team. A captain decides when to send whom and that is no mean task,” he says.
Addressing the media during a post-match conference on Thursday, Ms Kaur said it was “unfortunate” that her parents could not watch the semi-final.
Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur plays for Sydney Thunder in Women's Big Bash League in Australia. Source: Supplied
“It was the first time they were going to watch me playing cricket since my dad did when I was in school, and my mother has never watched me play cricket.
“It means a lot because from Day One I wanted them to watch me playing cricket and today I got this opportunity. They have come here to watch all of us playing, and I hope we get all support from all the parents and try to win this tournament,” she added.
Harmanpreet Kaur of India poses for a photo with the trophy ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup in Sydney Source: AAP Image/AP Photo/Rick Rycroft
