On Tuesday, former Indian women’s cricket team captain Mitali Raj stated that the national cricket team’s underwhelming performance had contributed to its lack of growth over the past three years. India took an early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 as they crashed in the group stage. It is the first time under Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy that India has failed to qualify for the knockout of an ICC mega event since 2016.
Harmanpreet Kaur mentioned that the best Indian women’s Cricket team to go to the T20 World Cup was the women in blue, but they failed to reach the knockouts. It put a question mark on the next skipper, who will be the captain and lead the team India. Despite India being one of the favourite teams to lift the women’s T20 World Cup, India could not go through to the semis.
Can the Women in Blue Overcome Their Top-Tier Struggles?
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur of the Indian Women’s cricket team had considered the team as the best equipped for the competition, but former captain Mithali Raj complained about their lack of development over the past few years. Raj emphasized that despite having strong presentations against lower-ranked teams, the team resisted against top-tier opponents, like Australia, representing an inaction in expansion.
Following their exit, the women in Blue and their captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, have received criticism and backlash. India wins matches against West Indies and South Africa. But the Indian Women’s Cricket team failed to defeat Sophie Devine’s New Zealand and Tahlia McGrath’s Australia.
The Pressure Mounts: India’s World Cup Journey
Before the World Cup, head coach Amol Muzumdar said the team decided to send Harmanpreet Kaur at no. 3. She never got 10 and 1 core in the warmup matches. But India stuck with their earlier plans, which backfired in the New Zealand game after she made only 15. After back-to-back failures, India panicked and sent Harman Preet to No. 4 against Pakistan in the match. In the Pakistan match, she got 29 but walked off the field with an injured neck.
She was back to position no. 3 against Sri Lanka and made India’s fastest fifty in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup. But again, she was demoted to No. 4 against Australia- quite a surprise for everyone. It becomes a mystery why her batting position was shifted frequently. India entered the tournament without playing a T20 series to finalize the playing 11. The lack of fitness was spotted in the Indian batters.
India also suffered from poor fielding in the T20 World Cup—the match against Sri Lanka, where women in blue did not grasp any opportunity. Rich Ghosh dropped a straightforward chance against New Zealand. Asha Sobhana missed simple chances against Pakistan. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur herself dropped a vital catch of Tahila McGrath of Australia. Renuka Singh and others conceded runs that could have been ignored. Misfiled and dropped catches have been common with the women in the blue. Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh lost their wickets because of a lack of fitness. Opener Shefali Verma struggled with her wicket loss.
In the Australia match, India needs 14 runs in the last over. The Indian women’s Cricket team has a massive chance of taking Australia down. Harmanpreet Kaur, who plays many match-winning knocks, scored a 44-ball half-century already. But her decision making and lack of game sense made a blunder in the last over. She took a single off the first ball of the over and gave a strike to Pooja Vastrakar, who batted once against New Zealand in the whole T20 World Cup.
Again, in the third ball of the over, she took a single and exposed Shreyanka Patil, who had to hit two back-to-back sixes for the win. India lost four wickets in that over, which makes completely haywire them.
Smriti Mandana is a popular name in the Indian Women’s Cricket team. She played with a strike of 94.93 but failed to give her Indian women’s Cricket team a decent start. She has no answer against quality spin bowling, especially inside the powerplay. Spinners Eden Carson, Sophie Molineux and Sadia Iqbal dismissed her. His experience was absent in the chase against Australia.
The Indian women’s cricket team’s trouble adjusting to the slow pitch in their opening loss to New Zealand highlighted concerns in the batting order, predominantly during the middle overs. Raj worried about the need for better planning and the significance of giving bench players opportunities, as this could help build depth in the squad. Overall, she articulated concern about the team’s future performance without important variations.
Are Familiarity and Role Clarity Key to Success in the UAE?
Speaking to PTI from Dubai, Mitali said the team’s degradation resulted from not being familiar with the conditions in the UAE, lack of role clarity in the batting department, and below-average fielding. She expressed disappointment with the results and exit from the ICC mega event. She also mentioned that the teams’ growth has stagnated for the last three years.
Raj noted that other nations like South Africa made significant developments in batting, bowling and fielding. At the same time, India has beaten lower-ranked teams without addressing its failures against top-tier opponents. She also suggested it is time to change; if it’s delayed more, the ODI World Cup will also lose, like the T20 World Cup.
Mitali also called for a change in leadership after the Indian women’s Cricket team’s disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup. She stressed the need for fresh energy and a young leader to lead the team from the front. She stated that the selector should not delay the decision because another mega ICC event knocked at the door. She praised Jemimah’s energy and leadership qualities to build momentum under challenging situations.
She also mentioned that Jemiah Rodrigues communicates effectively on the field. The captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, has not been able to produce the desired results, leading to questions about potential leadership changes before the next World Cup. The team missed opportunities to develop depth by not giving chances to bench players in the Asia Cup.
Will the Indian Women’s Cricket Team Bounce Back Stronger in Future Tournaments?
Raj highlighted that one of the critical issues for Indian Women’s Cricket Team faced was the lack of role clarity within the batting lineup. Frequent changes in batting positions led to confusion among players and affected their performance during matches. She also suggests you don’t rely on one player to carry the team. Both openers must contribute equally to compete effectively against stronger teams. Raj also pointed out the lack of fitness among players. Deficiencies in fitness cause poor fielding in crucial matches. Some players are not too speedy in running between the wickets or chances of wickets. She suggests that fitness must be maintained throughout the year, not only before significant tournaments.
The Indian Women’s Cricket Team faces challenges in converting domestic opportunities and domestic structure into international success, raising concerns about player development pathways and selection processes. Raj’s comments urge stakeholders to reflect on talent nurturing and opportunities for younger players to prove themselves if India wants to build squad depth. We hope the women in blue will return more potent and with a banger.
FAQ
Why did Mithali Raj comment on the lack of growth in the Indian women’s cricket team?
Mithali Raj expressed concern that the team’s underwhelming performances over the past three years, particularly their early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024, indicate stagnation in their development.
What was significant about India’s performance in the T20 World Cup 2024?
This tournament marked the first time under captain Harman Preet Kaur that India failed to qualify for the knockout stage since 2016.
What does Mithali Raj believe contributes to the team’s struggles?
Raj emphasized that while the team has performed well against lower-ranked teams, they have not made progress against top-tier opponents like Australia and New Zealand.
How did the team’s batting order impact their performance?
Frequent changes in batting positions created confusion, which negatively affected players’ performances, particularly in crucial matches.
What issues were highlighted regarding the team’s fitness?
Raj noted that poor fitness among players led to missed opportunities in the field and diminished performance during matches.
What did Harman Preet Kaur struggle with during the T20 World Cup?
Despite being a key player, Kaur’s decision-making under pressure, especially in the final overs, led to critical mistakes that contributed to India’s losses.
What are some proposed changes for the Indian women’s cricket team?
Raj suggested a change in leadership, advocating for a younger captain and better role clarity within the batting lineup to revitalize the team.
How does Raj compare India’s growth to other teams?
She pointed out that other nations, like South Africa, have made significant improvements, while India has relied on past successes without addressing current weaknesses.
What did Raj say about the development pathways for players?
Raj emphasized the need for better domestic opportunities to translate into international success, highlighting gaps in player development and selection processes.
What is the overall sentiment for the future of the Indian women’s cricket team?
While there are concerns, there is hope that with necessary changes and improved planning, the team can bounce back stronger in future tournaments.
