Indian Women's T20 World Cup Squad: Aiming for the Elusive Silverware
"This is our best team ever at a T20 World Cup," declared Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women's cricket team before departing for Dubai. The team is flaunting unparalleled stability, with 10 members retained from the 2023 World Cup team, the inclusion of Women's Premier League top performers adding to the batting strength, and a triumphant comeback story of three players, courtesy of the league.
In this World Cup cycle, despite the intense competition from Australia and England, India boasts of a significant victory over both in their three get-togethers. The year was marred by a fumbled bout against South Africa in Chennai and an unanticipated defeat in the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka, led by Chamari Athapaththu. Overcoming past knockout failures and managing pressure have become the team's prerogative, aided by a professional sports psychologist and the employment of various skills camp under the leadership of Amol Muzumdar.
The World Cup's relocation from Bangladesh to UAE does not affect the team's strategy, with a balanced, spin-intensive attack and a top-class opening six safeguarding the team. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma have showcased strong form, and Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur have added impressive half-centuries to their portfolios in the practice matches over the past month. The team is well-equipped at the no.3 position - a slot that witnessed extensive experimentation over the last six months - and backed by an abundance of all-rounders supporting finishers Richa Ghosh and Pooja Vastrakar, the team looks set for pursuing the much-coveted title.
The squad to watch out for in the tournament includes Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (Vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, and a few others. Shreyanka Patil's quick off-spinning allrounder skills bring added value to the team, helping her to bounce back from a finger injury and lead RCB to a thrilling win in the WPL 2024. She concluded the season with the Purple Cap for her 13 wickets across eight matches and was also awarded the Emerging Player for the season, earning her an Indian cap.
