"Before I go to bat, I use the golf club"- Harmanpreet Kaur opens up on how she prepares for T20s ahead of Commonwealth Games

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who is also the highest run-scorer in T20Is for the Indian women's team, has revealed how she prepares for T20 matches.

Harmanpreet explained that she uses the golf club to warm up. She feels that in T20 matches, one has to go out and play big shots from ball one. She has tried this method of preparation in the last couple of series and so far, it has paid off.

Harmanpreet was talking to reporters in a press conference ahead of the India vs Australia match in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She said, as quoted by Cricbuzz:

"Before I go to bat, I use the golf club so that I can warm-up myself right away. In the T20 format, you have to go and hit from the first ball. If the body is warmed, it's good for you.

"I can use it for my wrist warm-up, shoulder warm-up. I should feel I'm ready to go and swing the bat. It's helping me and I've tried this for the last couple of series and it's working well."

Harmanpreet will now be looking to get going with the bat at the Commonwealth Games and lead Women in Blue from the front.

Harmanpreet has the experience of playing in 124 T20Is with 2,411 runs under her belt, comprising a century and six fifties. She is coming into this tournament on the back of a rich vein of form that she had against Sri Lanka. She played a vital role in helping India win the T20I and ODI series against them earlier this month.

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“Captain Harmanpreet Kaur can promote herself”- Anjum Chopra

Former India captain Anjum Chopra feels that skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who bats at No. 4, should be open to playing at any position in the batting order. She feels the right-hander can promote herself if her team gets a good start.

Writing in her column for news agency IANS, Chopra stated:

“Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who bats at No. 4, can promote herself after a good start or hang back after Jemimah Rodrigues or Yastika Bhatia."

The Indian team will begin their campaign against World Champions Australia on Friday, July 29. Arch-rivals Pakistan and Barbados are also part of Group A.