Shree Charani keeps focus on World Cup as India gear up for must-win Australia clash

India spinner Shree Charani said her focus remains on helping the team win the ICC Women's T20 World Cup rather than individual rankings. She also expressed confidence in India's simple, process-driven approach ahead of the crucial group-stage clash against Australia.

Hyderabad: India kept their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final hopes alive with a crucial five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Manchester. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Adidas Match Centre Live’, India spinner Shree Charani discussed her three-wicket haul, India’s mindset heading into the virtual quarter-final against Australia.

“I just kept things simple; I didn’t try to do anything extra and focused on what I had practiced. My line, length, and variations and I knew that if I kept hitting the right areas, the wickets would come. Against Bangladesh, I was clear about my plans. I wanted to bowl in the right channels and not give away easy runs. The pitch had a little bit of help, so I just stuck to my strengths and let the ball do the rest. Picking up two wickets feels good, but more importantly, I was happy that I could contribute to the team’s win,” Sree Charani said.

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On the catches dropped off her bowling, Sree Charani said: “I didn’t get frustrated by the catches dropped off my bowling. Dropped catches are part of the game. It happens to every bowler at some point. You can’t control what happens after the ball leaves your hand. All you can do is keep bowling in the right areas and trust your teammates. So, it’s okay. I don’t let it affect my focus. I believe that if you keep doing the right things, the rewards will come. At the end of the day, whatever is written for me, it will come.”

On India’s mindset going into the must-win game against Australia, the left arm spinner said: “Yes, the Australia game is going to be an important one. We want to win and finish on top of the group stage. But we are not going to treat it any differently. We are going to keep things simple. There’s no need to overthink. We have played against them before, and we know what to expect. It’s about executing our skills on the day. One game at a time. That has been our approach throughout this tournament, and we will continue with the same mindset.”

On not focusing much on her World No. 1 ranking in T20Is, Sree Charani said: “To be honest, right now my focus is completely on the World Cup. We are in the middle of the tournament, and that is all that matters to me. I’m not thinking about being the number one ranked T20I bowler or any individual rankings. Those things are nice to have, but they are not my priority at the moment. I just want to focus on my bowling, stick to my plans, perform well for the team and win the World Cup. If I keep doing that, everything else will take care of itself.”