What are the strengths and areas of improvement for the India Women’s heading towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup?
The much-awaited cricket extravaganza, a typical festival for all cricket fans around the globe, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is just a few months away. Bangladesh is all set to host the big ICC event of the year from 3rd October 2024 to 20th October 2024.
India Women’s journey in the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup over the years
The Indian team led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be participating in the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 in Sri Lanka before they head to Bangladesh for the mega event in October, later this year. The Women in Blue have won three (2012, 2016, and 2022) out of the four editions of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup. India ended as the runners-up of the 3rd edition of the tournament in 2018. They ended up on the losing side against Bangladesh by three wickets in the final. The upcoming edition of the tournament is going to be the 5th edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup.
The Indian team has an impressive win percentage of 63.63 in the T20I format this year. The Australian women’s team led by skipper Alyssa Healy handed defeat in the three-match T20I series in January.
Areas of Strength (Based on data from 28th April 2024)
In-form top-order:
India’s top three has been in sublime form with the bat in recent times. India’s top order has been at the fulcrum of the amount of runs scored by the side. The top three has accounted for around 63% of the runs scored by the side. The Indian openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma are at the heart of the women in blue’s top order, scoring 69% of runs at the top. The Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is leading the run-scoring charts for the Women in blue.
Spinners leading the bowling attack:
The Indian spinners have been on a roll in recent times, accounting for 64% of the wickets taken by the Indian bowlers. The resurgence of the 24-year-old left-arm spinner Radha Yadav in the T20I format has played a pivotal role in providing the penetration to India’s lethal spin attack. She is the leading wicket-taker as far as the spin department is concerned. She is also the joint-highest wicket-taker for India in the T20I format alongside Pooja Vastrakar with 16 wickets at an average of 10.81, and an impressive economy of 5.96 in eight innings to her name.
Areas to improve on (Based on data from 28th April 2024)
Lack of support in the pace department:
Although the major chunk of wickets have been taken by the Indian spinners, the 24-year-old pace bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been a stand-out bowler for the Women in Blue as far as the pace bowling attack is concerned. She has accounted for 68% of the wickets taken by the Indian pacers from the time Women in Blue toured to Bangladesh in April, earlier this year. Slim returns from India’s premier new-ball bowler Renuka Singh, especially in the white-ball formats has put the onus on Pooja Vastrakar to provide the breakthroughs in crucial situations for India. However, the all-rounder has taken the opportunity with both hands.
Catching Efficiency:
Despite the fact that India’s ground fielding has improved a bit under the new head coach Amol Muzumdar, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before the team heads to Bangladesh for the T20 World Cup later in the year. In recent times, a lot of catches have been dropped, giving a lifeline to the opposition batters. In a big tournament like the World Cup as a side, you can’t afford to give the opposition an opportunity to come back in the game, and as they say, catches win you matches.
Women in Blue’s journey in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup over the years
The Women in Blue has had an impressive journey over the years in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The Indian team has managed four semi-final appearances and one appearance in the final in 2020. India eventually ended up as the runners-up of the tournament that year courtesy of an 85-run defeat against Australia in the final.
The upcoming edition is the 9th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The tournament will be hosted by Bangladesh from 3rd October 2024. India will commence their T20 World Cup campaign on 4th October 2024 against New Zealand in Sylhet. The tournament will conclude on 20th October 2024.
What’s next for Team India?
The upcoming edition is going to be the 5th edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. India will kickstart their Asia Cup campaign on 19th July against Pakistan at Dambulla from 7 PM IST. The tournament will conclude on 28th July 2024.