AFTER U-19 GLORY, WILL HARMANPREET & CO ALSO TRIUMPH IN SOUTH AFRICA?

Siddhaarth Mahan

After a glorious victory by the Indian girls in the U-19 T20 World Cup barely a fortnight ago, it’s time for the senior girls to buckle up for a new challenge. The Indian eves take on Pakistan in their first match of the T20 World Cup in South Africa on Sunday. The U-19 triumph was the first World Cup win in Indian Women’s cricket history. Now, the key question is whether the ‘Women in Blue’ can carry forward the momentum of the Under-19 victory to script history at the senior level and emerge as the best?

No easy answers to this seemingly simple query. Though India has been prominent in the chasing pack to end Australia’s dominance, achieving the same has remained elusive. Since the first edition in 2009, Australia have won five of the seven tournaments, including the last two editions in 2018 and 2020. Inevitably, the Aussies are firm favourites – their victory in the ODI World Cup last year, their gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and their Ashes win all testify how Australia have dominated women’s cricket in recent years.

But once they negotiate the group stage, Harmanpreet and Co have the potential to dream big. Given the fine blend of youth and experience now, there’s no reason why the ‘Women in Blue’ can’t go all the way this time. Indian cricket fans will hope that South Africa proves lucky a second time. In 2007, Indian Men won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africaand in 2023, the Women’s team could repeat the feat in the same country!!

Despite the Aussie dominance, India, England and hosts South Africa are all harbouring hopes of clinching the World Cup title in the T20 showpiece event. While England have an experienced squad and the Proteas have the home advantage, Team India certainly seem like strong contenders. A great mix of youthful talent and experienced players makes the team full of potential. In Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, India has two of the finest stroke makers in the game today. If Shafali Verma can live up to her full potential, then former skipper Mithali Raj’s prediction that India’s chances of winning will depend largely on the top order’s form could easily come true.

To clinch the World Cup, however, besides the seasoned duo of Kaur and Mandhana, the others in the team also need to start firing at their best. India has a strong core of young players. Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, could play a key role in making India look like a force to be reckoned with at this World Cup. In particular, one hopes the U19 World Cup-winning duo of

Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh will use the knowledge of South African conditions they have gained in playing the U-19 event to good use.

Indian bowling though will be severely tested in this post-Jhulan Goswami era. It needs some major improvement as India will be fielding a relatively inexperienced pace unit barring veteran Shikha Pandey. The warm up matches have shown that spinners might be very useful in the conditions and as such India will be relying a lot on Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gaikwad to do the job for them in the middle overs.

Team India has had a rather successful run over the past 12 months. They won the Asia Cup beating Sri Lanka in the final and grabbed the Silver Medal at the Commonwealth Games last

AFTER A GLORIOUS VICTORY BY THE INDIAN GIRLS IN THE U-19 T20 WORLD CUP BARELY A FORTNIGHT AGO, IT’S TIME FOR THE SENIOR GIRLS TO BUCKLE UP FOR A NEW CHALLENGE. THE INDIAN EVES TAKE ON PAKISTAN IN THEIR FIRST MATCH OF THE T20 WORLD CUP IN SOUTH AFRICA ON SUNDAY summer in England. Though they lost the home series against Australia 4-1, most games were closely fought affairs. What will give Team India the confidence to pull it off against the Aussies is the fact that Australia have lost just one T20 in the last 22 months and that defeat was inflicted by India! Even in the Commonwealth Games final, Harmanpreet’s team nearly

Team Needs To Start Firing At Their Best

To clinch the World Cup, however, besides the seasoned duo of Kaur and Mandhana, the others in the team also need to start firing at their best. India has a strong core of young players. Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, could play a key role in making India look like a force to be reckoned with at this World Cup.

overcame the Aussies before narrowly losing by just 9 runs.

India needs to begin convincingly against Pakistan. Once they win the battle with traditional rivals, they could get a big boost in confidence and momentum. They need to be careful as they are placed in a tough, tricky group which includes England, West Indies and Ireland, apart from Pakistan. While India was beaten by their arch rivals in the Asia Cup, they still have 10 wins out of 13 matches against Pakistan. The group match against England will have some added spice given that their last match ended with a controversial ‘Mankad-ed’ wicket which sparked off a sharp war of words between the two sides. But once they negotiate the group stage, Harmanpreet and Co have the potential to dream big. Given the fine blend of youth and experience now, there’s no reason why the ‘Women in Blue’ can’t go all the way this time. Indian cricket fans will hope that South Africa proves lucky a second time. In 2007, Indian Men won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa - and in 2023, the Women’s team could repeat the feat in the same country!!