Speaking ahead of the opener, captain Babette de Leede described the opportunity to compete on cricket’s biggest stage as “a dream” for both herself and her teammates. The Dutch skipper also reflected on the week of promotional events leading up to the tournament, including the Captain’s Carnival, where she had the chance to interact with some of the game’s biggest names.
“It feels like I’m in a dream sometimes. I have to pinch myself and say, okay, this is real. I’m really standing next to Harmanpreet (Kaur), for example. It’s so cool to be here. And especially that Captain’s Carnival was so cool, to meet some of my idols and people I’ve been watching on TV. Now I’m standing next to them and even getting the chance to pick their brains about a few things,” de Leede said.
Knowledge transfer was high on de Leede’s priority list.
“They’re all very kind to me as well. So yeah, it’s a very special experience and yeah, it feels unreal sometimes. I think, yeah, also tomorrow is going to be incredible, especially since we were at the game yesterday. We watched England play Sri Lanka, and it’s just because it’s in England, like people love cricket. There was a good, good crowd. So yeah, it’s just, it’s an unreal experience, like really living, like living my dream.”
De Leede also shared a small bit of advice Harmanpreet passed on to her during the Captains’ Press Conference in London last week.
“Before the press conference, I asked her, ‘Does it ever feel normal to you?’ Because I was quite nervous. And she said, “No, I’m always nervous. That’s completely normal.” She was very comforting and supportive. Also, this morning I spoke to Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who scored a ton yesterday. So we spoke a little bit about the pitch, and it’s so cool to see these people at breakfast or in the lift. So yeah, it’s such a cool experience for us.”
Published on Jun 14, 2026
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