India women’s tour of England is interestingly poised, with the visitors knocking over the hosts in the first two matches at Nottingham and Bristol before the hosts fought back with a narrow win at the Oval.
With only two matches remaining, it’ll be exciting to see which side will take the series and carry some momentum into the much more crucial ODI leg of the tour.
The timing of the T20 series, especially in an ODI World Cup year, is up for debate, given that the ICC tournament is all set to get underway in less than 90 days.
A bilateral ODI series against England, the very opposition they faced in the 2017 World Cup final, doesn’t hold much significance either, considering the different conditions likely to be on offer during the tournament later this year.
Still, a victory in the ODI series against England is the impetus that the Indian women’s team need in the lead-up to the Cricket World Cup, which is set to be played in their own backyard.
Team India will fancy their chances of lifting their first 50-over World Cup as the tournament returns to the subcontinent after 12 long years. They would do well to channel the spirit and attitude that their male counterparts showed in the 2023 edition of the men’s World Cup.
Rohit Sharma’s men, the punters’ favourites to win the cup, came agonisingly close to lifting the trophy. They steamrolled any opposition they faced in the round-robin and blew the Kiwis away in the semi-finals, only to be stunned into silence by Pat Cummins’ men in front of a capacity crowd at Ahmedabad in what was an anti-climax.
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Let’s look at some of the key players in the Indian squad who have the potential to dominate the opposition. They have been in great touch recently, and Team India’s chances of lifting the elusive trophy pretty much hinge on the ability of these players to string together some consistent performances throughout the tournament.
Smriti Mandhana (Batter)
The free-flowing opener is back at No.1 on the ODI rankings after six long years, mainly on the back of her splendid performances in the tri-series in Sri Lanka: 51 against South Africa and a superb 116 against the hosts, Sri Lanka.
The southpaw has backed it up with some stellar performances in the shortest format, too, notching up her maiden T20I ton against England just a couple of weeks ago. Her contributions at the top of the order have been invaluable for helping Team India’s cause over the years, whether it’s setting a total or chasing one. This is excellent news for the team, as the left-hander is really stepping up her game, unlocking a whole new level of form and consistency just in time for the big event.
Deepti Sharma (All-Rounder)
The decorated all-rounder has played a massive role in helping India recover quickly from the 0-3 ODI series loss against Australia late last year.
Sharma’s consistent performances with both bat and ball, including the 6-wicket haul and 39* against the WI women in Vadodara, have played a massive part in team India’s excellent run in the ODI format, securing 10 wins in 11 matches after the setback in Australia. The left-hander’s finishing skills with the bat came to the fore, with five not-out performances and a high score of 93 in 8 innings. She also collected 21 wickets in this period.
Sharma’s form in both finishing games with the bat and offering key wickets with the ball through the middle phase will be key in the World Cup.
Sneh Rana (Bowler)
The 31-year-old bowling allrounder made the most of her comeback opportunity, bowling Team India to victory with a 4-wicket haul in the Tri-Series final against Sri Lanka.
With 15 wickets from 5 matches in that competition, she dismissed any doubts critics had about her return to the national side. She has been in scintillating form for several months now, following an excellent WPL and a strong ODI series in harsh conditions in Sri Lanka.
She offers excellent control during the middle overs and provides some much-needed batting depth to the lower order, making her one of the most impactful players in the current setup.
Several players, such as the likes of Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, and Jemimah Rodrigues, will also need to contribute if India is to go deep in the tournament. However, these three players, given their recent form and the roles they play, need to come up with the goods. An interesting statistic about these three is that they are the only ones to have won a Player of the Match award for their performances across all three formats.
The pressure of a home World Cup will be enormous, but with a seasoned leader in Harmanpreet Kaur guiding the side and many players in good form, Team India will be the team to beat.
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