The Indian Women’s Team is set to make a comeback on the field after a long wait and a considerable amount of regrouping. The last they played on the international stage was against the Australian Women in the 2022 T20I World Cup Semi-final where they were knocked out. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team is set to tour neighbours Bangladesh for the 3 ODI’s and as many T20Is.
After an expensive loss against Australia in the WT20 finals, the team had to face multiple issues, both internal and external. The Indian team then dispersed and had about three weeks off after which they had to join their respective franchise for the WPL.
Out of the lot Harmanpreet Kaur (281 runs), Shafali Varma (252 runs), Yastika Bhatia (214 runs), and Harleen Deol (202) were among the top run-getters. On the bowling front Saike Ishaque (15 wickets), Shikha Pandey (10 wickets), Deepti Sharma (9 wickets), and Rajeshwari Gayakwad (7 wickets) were among the leading wicket-takers.
The Women in Blue are currently undergoing Pre-Tour-High Performance training and conditioning at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. As the BCCI is on a constant look to find a new head coach, former Indian team all-rounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar will be in charge for the time being in the Bangladesh Tour.
The Indian Men’s team Head coach, batting stalwart Rahul Dravid had a pep talk with the Indian girls ahead of the Bangla Tour in the NCA. The girls received words of wisdom from the best in business. Dravid highlighted important areas such as newer perspectives for preparation, the need for constant improvement, and the process of chasing excellence.
Rahul Dravid interacted with the Senior Indian Women cricketers at NCA Bangalore.#CricketTwitter 📸BCCI pic.twitter.com/Ukl8tm7IYW
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) May 24, 2023
The pep talk also included the likes of VVS Lakshman, giving the girls important insights on strategizing and executing. The flamboyant Indian batting pair VVS and Dravid instilled the girls with the necessary tips, techniques, and tactics. Dravid who has worked with the U19 men’s team and VVS who is in charge of the NCA were the ideal people to have a chat with the girls before the long-awaited series inducing the girls with a persevering and champion mindset.
On the other end, Bangladesh are coming off a 1-0 ODI and 2-1 T20I series loss against the Sri Lankan side. Bangladesh toured the Island country earlier this May, where they played an ODI game, with a couple being washed out.
The T20I series that followed saw Bangladesh start with a win in the opener, led by skipper Nigar Sultana who scored an unbeaten 75 runs to secure a 6-wicket victory. But in the second and third T2OI, Bangladesh fell prey to the comprehensive Sri Lankan bowling lineup as the batters hampered their teams’ chances.
It will be India’s first series after the WPL, and it will be intriguing to see what impact the highly successful tournament has had on the players. As India regroups to restart the international season, Bangladesh, who have recently played a white-ball series, approaches the upcoming matches with the aim to perform better.
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