The Women’s Cricket World Cup glory has remained so near; the Indian team, along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, is well aware of those challenges ahead of the marquee event starting on September 30.

During the 50-countdown event for the ICC tournament, which began on August 11 at Mumbai, Harmanpreet Kaur spoke about the challenges and added that the team aims for glory.

“Playing in front of a home crowd is always special, and hopefully this time we’ll give our 100 per cent and finally break the barrier that all Indian fans have been waiting for,” said Harmanpreet Kaur.

She also spoke about his stellar knock against Australia in the semi finals of the 2017 edition of the tournament, where the side became runners after suffering defeat against England in the finals at Lord’s.

“I still remember that knock – it was very special. A lot changed for me personally after that. At the time, I didn’t fully realise what had happened, but when we returned to India after losing the final, the number of people waiting and cheering for us was truly remarkable. That was something very special,” the India skipper recalled.

The event was inaugurated by the ICC Chairman Jay Shah before the panel discussion, featuring Indian cricket stars Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur and ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta.

Jay Shah has said the upcoming World Cup was a great chances to grow further gwon the women’s game and welcomed the inputs of present and former players in the panel discussions.

“The return of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 to India comes at a defining moment for the women’s game, setting the stage for a truly world-class tournament that will further elevate the sport’s global stature.”

“At the ICC, we remain open to new ideas and are constantly exploring ways to sustain the upward momentum of women’s cricket. Conversations like today’s panel discussion are invaluable in shaping our collective vision and driving progress,” ICC Chairman Jay Shah said.

The Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will be played in give cities across two countries – Vizag, Indore, Guwahati and Colombo for fixtures.

Bengaluru is also one of the declared centres but there is a bit of uncertainty over it since the local Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is yet to obtain permission.

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is set to host four games, including the inaugural fixture between India and Sri Lanka and a semifinal.