As India gears up to host the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup beginning September 30, the focus has already turned to how Harmanpreet Kaur and her team will handle the unique intensity of performing in front of passionate home fans. Few understand this dynamic better than former Australian skipper Meg Lanning, who led her side through similar circumstances at major global tournaments.
One of women’s cricket’s most illustrious leaders, Lanning led Australia to their seventh ODI World Cup victory in 2022 and memorably raised four T20 World Cup trophies while serving as captain. Among those victories was the 2020 T20 World Cup on home soil, a campaign that tested her side both mentally and tactically.
“There’s definitely a lot of added pressure at a home World Cup. You just get more media, there’s more scrutiny and there’s very high expectations. So, it’s an added layer to everything,” Lanning told ICC Digital while reflecting on the experience.
The Australian admits that no amount of preparation can truly replicate the intensity of the moment. “You can think about and plan as much as you want, but until you’re actually in it – and especially if things don’t go well – that’s when there’s another added (pressure) bit,” she explained.
Australia themselves encountered such turbulence when they began their 2020 campaign with an unexpected defeat to India in Sydney. Bowled out for 115 while chasing 133, the hosts were immediately thrust into crisis mode.
Lanning recalled, “We certainly had that in our home (T20) World Cup (in 2020) in the first couple of (group) games. We didn’t get off to a good start and we were under a pump pretty quickly.”
But pressure can also transform into fuel. For Lanning’s side, the setback became a springboard. They regrouped, found their rhythm, and ultimately claimed the title in front of over 86,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground — a watershed moment for women’s cricket globally.
That journey taught Lanning that playing at home brings a complex mix of challenges and rewards. “It’s certainly different and something that the home teams in India will face this time around in terms of just an added layer of pressure,” she said.
At the same time, she believes that the support of home fans can tip the balance in a positive direction. “World Cups carry their own unique pressure, I think there’s nothing quite like it. I mean, there’s positives to it as well,” she noted.
“You get your home crowd every game. You get your family and friends there. You are in your home comforts. So, there are certainly some pros to it, but in terms of the added pressure, that’s something that you can’t really prepare for, I don’t think.”
For Harmanpreet Kaur’s India, the lesson from Australia’s past is clear: navigating the weight of expectations will be just as important as delivering on the field. As the tournament opener against Sri Lanka on September 30 approaches, India will hope to embrace the stage — and the spotlight — rather than be burdened by it.
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