The Indian women’s cricket team is still hunting for its first major trophy. They have gotten incredibly close in the last decade, but an ICC trophy continues to evade them. Harmanpreet Kaur’s India is looking to change that in the next couple of months, with the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup coming up.
They’ve been touted as the favourites alongside the mighty Australian team for the mega event. The conditions (Bangladesh) should suit India, but are they good enough? They’ve improved consistently over the last couple of years and have reached the semifinals or better in the previous three T20 World Cups, but still, there are some concerns.
InsideSport asked former Indian captain Anjum Chopra what’s the biggest issue for India going into the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. She feels the team isn’t balanced; they have the resources but aren’t using them correctly. This was highlighted in the Women’s Asia Cup 2024. Going in as 7-time champions, nothing was supposed to stop India. They reached the final convincingly but were thrashed by the hosts, Sri Lanka.
Is batting a weak link going into the Women’s T20 World Cup? Does Dayalan Hemalatha warrant a place in the XI?
By now, India (women’s team) has ample experience. They should know what they need by now. They like to play an extra batter instead of a bowler or all-rounder. My question regarding Hemalatha’s performance (in Women’s Asia Cup) is, why does she need to bat at 3? She isn’t being utilized as an all-rounder. You are not getting the best of her and making her look ordinary. The batting isn’t a weak link, but they aren’t balancing out the team given the players and resources they have in the best possible manner.
Injury concerns before Women’s T20 World Cup
One of the reasons India suffered a crushing loss in the final was because of injuries. Until that is sorted out, success seems unlikely. There is no update on Yastika Bhatia and Titas Sadhu’s status, two starters who weren’t part of the squad for the Asia Cup, while Shreyanka Patil injured herself during the tournament.
Ideally, India would also like at least one more pace-bowling all-rounder alongside Pooja Vastrakar. This is where teams like Australia are ahead. Anjum Chopra reckons the same as well. To both of these concerns, she said, “multiple players are injured, especially bowlers, and we are short of all-rounders.”
