In July 2018, Indian women’s cricket team coach Tushar Arothe resigned due to alleged differences with some of the star players, who had protested against his training method. Under his coaching, Indian team reached Final of the Women’s World Cup 2017, but India lost the match against England by 9 runs. After Tushar Arothe resigned as Indian Women’s Cricket Team coach BCCI appointed former Indian off-spinner Ramesh Powar as a head coach of India Women’s team till ICC World Twenty 20 2018.
Indian team reached the semi-final of WT20, 2018 and lost against England. Mithali Raj dropped from playing XI for the ICC Women’s World T20 semi-final in the West Indies even she was fit to play but captain Harmanpreet Kaur and coach Ramesh Powar wanted to continue with winning combination. On one side Mithali Raj alleged Powar, captain Harmanpreet & vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was in support with the coach. After returning home from the West Indies, Raj accused Powar and Diana Edulji of trying to destroy her and being biased against her.
After the controversy between Mithali Raj and coach Ramesh Powar BCCI invited applications for the post of coach. Former India men’s team coach Gary Kirsten, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, Ramesh Powar, W V Raman, Venkatesh Prasad, Manoj Prabhakar, Trent Johnston, Mark Coles, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Brad Hogg were the 10 shortlisted candidates interviewed by an ad-hoc panel comprising ex- India player Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy.
Out of the 10 shortlisted candidates former India opener, W V Raman has been appointed as the new coach of the India Women’s team. Raman played 11 tests and 27 ODI from 1988-97. He also coached India U19, Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Most Recently he has a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. The upcoming tour of New Zealand will be the first assignment for Raman as head coach that starts from 24th January 2019 at Napier.
