Over the past decade, India’s women’s cricket team has faced heartbreak in several knockout games across major ICC events. The ODI World Cup final in 2017, the T20 World Cup final in 2020, and most recently, the T20 World Cup semi-final in 2023 have been among their most significant losses.
Despite consistently fielding world-class players, the inability to cross the final hurdle has been a recurring theme for the team. Ahead of the T20I series against West Indies, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur candidly addressed the team’s struggles, particularly in high-pressure matches, highlighting the importance of individual mindset, she urged her players to develop a big-match temperament.
“I think it’s only the mindset because, if you see, our team has very good players,” Harmanpreet stated. “All of them have done really well whenever they got the opportunity. I think in the big games; it’s only about the mindset and what you’re feeling individually.”
She further added, “Because, as a player, as a team, you can only talk about the things you have done well. At the end of the day, it’s only you who is dealing [with the situation and pressure] in the middle, and it’s only about you, how you are going to take these things forward.”
Despite an impressive record of 13 wins in 20 T20Is this year, India has faltered in critical games. Their unbeaten run in the Asia Cup ended with a crushing defeat to Sri Lanka in the final. Similarly, a must-win game against Australia in the T20 World Cup group stage saw them miss out on a semi-final spot.
Individual brilliance from senior players hasn’t been enough to carry the team over the line in big games. In the 2024 Asia Cup final, Smriti Mandhana’s 60 off 47 balls went in vain as other batters failed to deliver. Similarly, Harmanpreet’s 54* off 47 balls was a lone effort against Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup, highlighting the team’s over-reliance on a few players during crucial moments.
Adding to their woes, India enters the T20I series after a 3-0 ODI series loss in Australia. Harmanpreet admitted the tough patch but remained optimistic, emphasizing team bonding and positive discussions.
“It’s really tough when you’re going through this patch,” she said. “At the same time, we can only talk about the good things we have done in the past. I think having team-bonding sessions is very important. So, when we were coming back from Australia, we had good talks on the flight because that was the only time we could talk and think about how we can start this series. Yesterday was a good off-day, and today we had a good meeting where we discussed how we have to go about in this particular series.”
The series against West Indies begins on December 15, just days after the ODI series in Australia concluded on December 11. The back-to-back scheduling has left little time for the players to regroup.
“When you have very little time, it’s very difficult to come back and reflect on the things which you have done in the past,” Harmanpreet admitted. “At the same time, we just have to keep talking about the positives. The young girls who have come into the team have done really well in domestic [cricket], and they are also positive. I think staying together is something which is very important, which we have been doing.”
India’s T20I squad announcement just two days before the series has sparked criticism, particularly due to the exclusions of key players. Arundhati Reddy, who was India’s joint-highest wicket-taker at the T20 World Cup with 7 wickets from 4 matches, and Shafali Verma, the team’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is this year with 531 runs from 19 innings, have been left out.
Shafali, who had already been dropped from the ODIs for her poor form, now finds herself excluded from the T20I squad despite performing consistently in the format. Meanwhile, Arundhati’s omission is baffling, especially after her standout performance in the final ODI against Australia where she took 4 for 26 from her 10 overs when almost everyone went for an economy of 6 or more.
Equally puzzling are the continued exclusions of experienced all-rounders Shikha Pandey and Sneh Rana. Shikha, fresh off a stellar WBBL stint with Brisbane Heat, has been a vital asset in both bowling and leadership.
When asked about the omissions, Harmanpreet deflected, stating, “I would say to ask the right person because I can only talk about the team that’s here, and what things we can do to win this series. I think regarding Shafali or any other player, [it’s] better to ask the right person.”
India’s squad sees maiden call-ups for domestic stars Raghvi Bisht, Nandini Kashyap, and Pratika Rawal. As the team experiments with new faces, the focus remains on regaining momentum and building a winning mindset for future tournaments.
The series opener in Navi Mumbai on December 15 marks the start of a fresh opportunity for India to reset their focus. The second and third T20Is will follow on December 17 and 19, with all games scheduled in Navi Mumbai. The multi-format series will conclude with three ODIs starting December 22, which will be part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-2025.
(Quotes sourced from ESPN)
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