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We know how it feels to lose; now looking forward to winning a final – Harmanpreet

Published

7 months ago

2025/11/2

Priyan

we-as-a-team-werent-shaken-even-once-eventhough-we-lost-three-big-matches "We, as a team, weren't shaken even once eventhough we lost three big matches" [Cricbuzz]

When Shreya Ghosal sang the national anthem in Guwahati, Harmanpreet Kaur stood still – eyes closed, lips moving in perfect sync, truly savouring each one of those first 52 seconds of a home World Cup as captain. In Colombo, a young volunteer nearly missed the chance to walk out with the teams for the national anthems since the player assigned to accompany her was unwell. Harmanpreet stepped in with a smile, put her arm around the kid’s shoulder, and walked out holding the hands of two children – one on either side.

In Navi Mumbai, ahead of the high-stakes semifinal against Australia, she then did the unprecedented. Harmanpreet’s impromptu decision to hand over her huddle to a young girl for a quick pep-talk was a tiny peek into how she leads now. It’s Harmanpreet’s first World Cup as captain, potentially her last too, and she has been unafraid to show her unguarded, expressive self.

Maybe it’s a reflection of how she’s feeling on the inside too. When India sealed their final berth, she wept happy, unrestrained tears, while tightly hugging everyone in sight. In 2017, it was her herculean effort that had carried the team past the mighty Australian side, a knock that turned her into the icon she is now. Eight years later, having stumbled more than a few times against that very opponent in the meantime, it was Jemimah Rodrigues’ epic that scripted that moment. After doing her part in setting the stage for it, Harmanpreet sat in the dugout earnestly watching the circle complete – a torch quietly passed on. In those liberal tears was a story of how far Indian women’s cricket has come since that moment of reckoning in 2017.

There’s another, clearer hint of this evolution – and Harmanpreet is savouring that too.

“I mean, there are rarely a handful of such days when there’s pressure for these small things. I think it’s good that not just cricket, but there is pressure on us for arranging tickets too,” India captain said on the eve of the final, leaving everyone in the room in splits.

The clamour for tickets was evident from all the extra security that had to be called in at the DY Patil’s box-office gates with hundreds thronging the slip road parallel to the Mumbai-Pune highway a day after India’s record chase to knock Australia out in a tough semifinal draw. The country – and certainly the players – know the energy and effort it takes, as well as the emotional upheaval involved in taking down the unanimous pre-tournament favourites.

“The semifinal was a very high-pressure game and very intense. After that, recovery was something which we all paid more attention to, because the fresher we are, mentally, [for the final] the better it will be. We’ve been working hard for so many years… so skill-wise we know we have done a lot. Now, it’s only about keeping ourselves fresh for tomorrow. Recovery is something which we all talk about, and everybody is really taking that very seriously and hopefully tomorrow we will feel fresher for the main game,” Harmanpreet shared.

It’s India’s third time in a World Cup final in 50-overs cricket, and first time in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd in Navi Mumbai. India aren’t new to the big stage, and they have peaked at the right moment once they hit the familiar turf where the title clash will be their fourth straight game now. However, in between was a string of three narrow losses, one apiece against all other semifinalists, that posed serious questions about the skill and ability to handle crunch moments.

“We, as a team, weren’t shaken even once eventhough we lost three big matches,” the captain said. “Even after that everyone was together and we were all saying that we still have a great opportunity to reach the final. That positive mindset has brought us here. Our team has such a positive mindset and everyone wants to do good for the country and win the World Cup,

“We definitely were talking about what we wanted to improve, but at the same time, we were all looking at the same goal. It’s a long process [journey], there will be ups and downs. Some teams win, some lose. But at the end of the day, it’s about how we reach the end. We were talking about this journey, what we have to do after this defeat, how have to improve ourselves, and along with that we have to stay together and help each other. That really showed what positive characters are there in the team.”

The team’s mental resilience through tough stretch was thoroughly tested, and has shaped the team’s mindset and approach to this final as well.

“In a home World Cup, there’s always going to be ups and downs emotionally because it’s tough. But, keeping yourself balanced and focused is the key,” the 36-year-old said. “We are having those sessions where we have been talking about how we can be more focused and more balanced and at the same time keeping ourselves relaxed because this is the biggest stage and biggest opportunity for us: playing in home conditions and that also a final.

“The most important thing is that we have to enjoy this, because there is nothing bigger than this in your life as a cricketer and as a captain. Our focus is to enjoy this moment, and keep taking down the small targets to achieve as a team rather than thinking of the bigger target. When you take care of the small targets along the way,you’ll automatically achieve your ultimate target.”

As a result of achieving the next ultimate target the team has set its sights on, Harmanpreet is hoping to further elevate women’s cricket in India, bringing it into mainstream with “greater seriousness and viewership”.

There aren’t any celebrations pre-planned, for the captain wants the joy to unfold naturally. Like the happy tears and tightest hugs from Thursday night that currently flood the social media.

“I’m a very emotional person – I cry at everything. Maybe yesterday was the first time on television, but my teammates have seen me cry in the dressing room many times – even after wins, not just losses. I am the first person to cry. As a player, these moments are very important. To beat a team like Australia, a giant that has always done well on the world stage, it was not an easy thing to perform [and stay] mentally strong in front of them. But overcoming that hurdle was something very special to all of us. I always tell my team that you don’t need to control your emotions: if you feel like crying, cry.”

Whether the Indian dugout will see more happy tears or unbridled joy, should they cross the final frontier, is something upto the individuals who have “already visualised in our dreams many times”. But Harmanpreet was absolutely sure that there’s “no bigger motivation than a home World Cup final” for her side to produce their best cricket.

“We know pretty well how it feels to lose, but we are really looking forward to the feeling of winning a final now,” she said, confident in her team and in her own leadership. “Hopefully it’s going to be a special day for us tomorrow. We’ve worked really hard, and now it’s about getting everything right together.”

[Cricbuzz]

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US strikes Iran’s Qeshm, says Tehran attacks Kuwait, Bahrain

Published

7 hours ago

2026/06/3

Priyan

The United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces conducted “self-defence” strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island and “defeated multiple” Iranian missiles and drones as civilian vessels and regional allies Kuwait and Bahrain came under attack.

Kuwait’s military said air defence systems intercepted incoming drones and missiles, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said warning sirens were activated. Earlier, Iranian media reported that explosions were heard in the vicinity of Qeshm Island.

[Aljazeera]

Foreign News

Trump berated Netanyahu? Analysts question US-Israel feud rumours

Published

7 hours ago

2026/06/3

Priyan

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clasp hands after meeting at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 29 [Aljazeera]

In January 2024, the publication Axios reported that the United States president at the time, Joe Biden, was “running out of patience” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza had been raging for months by that point, and Biden was facing public backlash over US support for the conflict.

The assault would continue for the rest of Biden’s term and bleed into the first 10 months of Donald Trump’s second presidency.

Since then, media outlets have continued to publish anonymous accounts of rifts and “frustrating” calls between Trump and the Israeli prime minister. But US support for its Middle East ally has never wavered.

Another anonymously sourced report about a furious, expletive-laden call between US and Israeli leaders came out this week, and it spread rapidly across international media.

Axios reported on Monday that Trump called Netanyahu “f***ing crazy” and berated him over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon.

Around the same time, an Israeli attack killed six people, including two children, in the southern Lebanese town of al-Marwaniyah.

Experts say that despite leaks of feuds and harsh words between US leaders and Netanyahu, policies are ultimately what matters, and they have changed very little.

Ryan Costello, the policy director at the National Iranian American Council Action (NIAC), said political observers have grown to “mock” reports of closed-door anger from US presidents against Netanyahu.

“What’s really important is what actually happens in practice,” Costello told Al Jazeera.

Though there are reports of Trump giving Netanyahu a dressing-down, Isabelle Hayslip, an advocacy manager at the US-based rights group DAWN, said that US policy remains aligned with Israeli interests.

“Single-source reporting of Trump as a strongman who picks up the phone and yells at Netanyahu for undermining US policy is contradicted by the actual policy outcomes where Netanyahu gets exactly what he wants,” Hayslip told Al Jazeera.

“Trump has no final say over Israeli actions. Like his predecessors, the president has proved completely unable to prioritise American interests, instead catering to Israel’s expansionist whims.”

The latest report comes as Trump faces increasing pressure from his Democratic rivals and segments of his base over his handling of the war on Iran, which he launched jointly with Netanyahu on February 28.

The conflict, which saw Iran close the Strait of Hormuz, has sent gasoline prices soaring in the US and fuelled inflation.

Critics have accused Trump of allowing Israel to drag the US into a war that does not advance Washington’s priorities.

With negotiations to end the war stagnating, Israel’s escalation in Lebanon and its threat to bomb Beirut risks derailing the fragile truce that came into effect in April.

Iranian officials have suggested that they cut off contact with the US over the Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Before the Axios report, Trump announced he had spoken to Netanyahu and an unidentified Hezbollah representative, and both sides agreed that “all shooting will stop”.

But Netanyahu was quick to assert that the Israeli military “will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon”, where it is deepening its invasion and turning entire towns into rubble.

Advocates say Israeli atrocities in Lebanon and across the region could not have happened without US backing.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the US has provided Israel with nearly $25bn in military aid, helped fend off retaliatory Iranian attacks against the country and vetoed several ceasefire resolutions at the United Nations Security Council.

Nonetheless, anonymous accounts that the US president is angry at Netanyahu have become a regular feature in the media.

Such reports are attributed to US officials, but it is unclear how leaks with a similar message on the same topic have continued across two administrations from different political parties.

Publicly, aides of both Biden and Trump have largely refrained from criticising Israel.

Trump has regularly praised the Israeli prime minister, arguing on more than one occasion that Israel would have ceased to exist without Netanyahu’s leadership.

In December, the US president also called the Israeli prime minister a “hero” during a meeting in Florida.

“We’re with you, and we’ll continue to be with you,” Trump told Netanyahu.

Two weeks earlier, Axios reported that the White House had “scolded” Netanyahu over Israel’s ceasefire violations in Gaza.

“The White House message to Netanyahu was: ‘If you want to ruin your reputation and show that you don’t abide by agreements, be our guest, but we won’t allow you to ruin President Trump’s reputation after he brokered the deal in Gaza,” the publication quoted a US official as saying.

Few people know the exact content of high-level calls at the White House. Sometimes, top officials, including members of the National Security Council, sit in on conversations between the president and world leaders after briefings.

Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, a research nonprofit, said the leak about the tense call between Trump and Netanyahu may be aimed at making Trump look tough on Israel to quell outrage over the war.

“It could be sort of a way of moderating the anger or the blame at the US for continuing this unpopular, illegal, unnecessary war,” Mortazavi told Al Jazeera.

She added that the message it sends is, “Look, we’re very angry at Israel. We yell at them. We call them names.”

But Mortazavi stressed that policy is more important than rhetoric: “Does that change the facts on the ground?”

For his part, Costello argued that the leak was likely directed at Iran.

“I see this one primarily as a signal to the Iranians that Trump is serious, and he wants to insulate what’s happening in Lebanon and Israel’s attacks from the Iran negotiations,” Costello said.

“It remains to be seen the extent to which that excoriation has actually led to a change in Israel’s policies, and I think there is a strong incentive for continued defiance from Netanyahu.”

Axios, meanwhile, has defended its coverage.

“We stand by our reporting, which by the way noted ‘Trump and Netanyahu have had several tense calls in the past but have still coordinated closely on Iran and other issues,’” Jake Wilkins, a spokesperson for the publication, told Al Jazeera in an email.

Mortazavi warned that all sides of the war on Iran are trying to influence public perceptions of the conflict.

She pointed to recent reports that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had resigned, a rumour that was promptly denied by his office.

“This is a very hybrid war. It’s a war on the battlefield. It’s an intelligence war. It’s a war of narratives,” Mortazavi told Al Jazeera. “And then there’s also an information war, which includes disinformation, half-truths and strategic leaks.”

[Aljazeera]

Latest News

West Indies, Sri Lanka in high-stakes push to claim 2027 World Cup spot

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/3

Priyan

Shai Hope is the only batter in the series who can be called a reliable run machine [Cricinfo]

Where once ODI bilaterals could have been fairly mocked for their lack of relevance, they are played less and less, and this series has a bit of heat to it. Qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup is on the line, and both these sides know what it’s like to be left out of a major international tournament (both were missing from the last Champions Trophy, and West Indies had also not played the 2023 World Cup).

On March 31, 2027, the eight highest-ranking teams – aside from hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe – will qualify automatically for the World Cup, and teams slightly lower will have to fight their way in through a qualifier. Currently Sri Lanka are ranked sixth in ODIs, while West Indies are ninth. Both teams could do with a rankings boost.

Sri Lanka are in slightly better shape coming into this series. They have, at the very least, played ODIs this year, losing 2-1 at home to England. West Indies have lost four of their last five ODIs, and have not played the format for six months. Both teams have more or less their regular ODI troops to pick from, however. Sri Lanka’s seam stocks are in especially good health at present.

Sri Lanka’s ODI captaincy has been one of cricket’s most-puzzling roulette wheels over the past ten years. Kusal Mendis had had the job until 2024, when he was ousted with no reason provided. He has again been put in charge, perhaps with a view to him leading Sri Lanka into that 2027 World Cup campaign. There’s been little to recommend him for the role than his own buoyant batting form, however. How will he fare this time in what has turned out to be one of cricket’s most tumultuous positions?

With an average of 50.52 and 19 hundreds in this format, West Indies captain Shai Hope is the only batter in the series who can be called a reliable run machine. Hope hasn’t played competitive cricket since the T20 World Cup, but does have a decent record against Sri Lanka, against whom he has hit two ODI hundreds and four fifties. Like his opposite wicketkeeper-batter-captain Mendis, Hope will be a key figure as West Indies begin their push towards the 2027 World Cup in earnest.

West Indies will need to find a spot for Shimron Hetmyer, who is back in the ODI format. Ackeem Auguste may make way at the top of the order to allow Hetmyer back in. Gudakesh Motie will also likely lead the spin attack.

West Indies (possible): John Campbell, Shai Hope (capt.)(wk) , Keacy Carty, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Matthew Forde, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales

Sri Lanka have serious decisions to make on the bowling front. In Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, and Eshan Malinga, they have three bowlers capable of breaching 140kph.

Sri Lanka (possible): Kamil Mishara, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka

[Cricinfo]