New Delhi: India will enter the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 as one of the favourites with a star-studded batting line-up at their disposal and one of the best spin attacks in the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. have showcased consistency at major events over the past few years but have failed to go the distance due to knockout phobia.
India will be hoping to leave the debacles of the past behind and focus on clinching their maiden T20 World Cup title this time around. The Women in Blue have enough firepower in their ranks to go all the way and will be hoping to live up to their favourites tag. India have lost only 7 T20Is since the last edition of the tournament last year.
Here is a look at 5 Indian players to watch out for at Women’s T20 World Cup 2024:
1) Deepti Sharma
Deepti Sharma will be one of the key players to watch out for in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The experienced all-rounder has delivered under pressure on numerous occasions for India with the bat and the ball. The off-spinner can exploit the conditions in the UAE and prove to be a game-changer with the ball for her team.
Deepti has also been sublime with the bat recently and has played some valuable cameos in the middle order. The 27-year-old has 45 wickets and 525 runs to her name in T20Is since the start of 2022 which underlines her importance to the team. Deepti’s form will be crucial for India if they are to fancy their chances of lifting their maiden title in the UAE this year.
2) Shreyanka Patil
Shreyanka Patil has had a phenomenal rise ever since her breakthrough season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Women in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Shreyanka, who made her India debut last year, has 16 wickets to her name in 12 T20Is for the Women in Blue.
The off-spinner is still fresh in her international career but has already become a vital cog in the Indian bowling attack. In the UAE conditions where the spinners are expected to have a major say throughout the tournament, Shreyanka will be hoping to turn matches for India with her energetic spells.
3) Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana has been one of the most consistent performers for India over the years and has been among the runs of late. The elegant left-hander will continue to open the innings with Shafali Verma at the top and will be responsible for providing India with cracking starts.
Mandhana’s consistency is what sets her apart from others and the left-hander’s confidence has gone up after working on her spin game. She looked brilliant against spin in WPL 2024 and also did well in the home series against South Africa. Mandhana will have to shoulder majority of the run-scoring responsibilities for India in the showpiece event.
4) Richa Ghosh
Despite still being 21, Richa Ghosh has come across as a much more mature customer over the last few months. The swashbuckling wicket-keeper batter is a vital cog in India’s middle order and her form will be important for the team’s chances.
Richa can take on bowlers at will and can play her shots across all parts of the ground. The right-hander has so far amassed 860 runs in 55 T20Is at a strike rate of over 140 and will be hoping to enjoy a big tournament in the UAE where the conditions will suit her style of batting.
5) Shafali Verma
Shafali Verma’s form can be a decisive factor in deciding India’s fate in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The explosive opening batter recently made it clear that she would want to follow the approach of Rohit Sharma and go aggressive at the top during the tournament to provide India with quick starts up top.
However, she will have to be wary of the thin line between being aggressive and being reckless. Verma has been a consistent performer for India with the bat and is heading into the tournament riding on good form. However, she will have to display more consistency to ensure India can go all the way in the tournament. Shafali has so far played 81 T20Is in her career and has amassed 1,948 runs at a strike rate of over 130, including 10 half-centuries.
Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be looking to clinch their maiden title when they take the field in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Here is a look at five Indian players to watch out for at the showpiece event. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
