New Delhi: The Indian women’s cricket team support is certainly on the rise. To go for a victory lap after winning the Asia Cup final in Sylhet, Bangladesh to show their appreciation to the crowd away from your home land is a pleasing sight. In fact, the picture was carried by many newspapers too while reporting the match.
While the growing support is a healthy sign; the constant growth of the team itself is a major driving force. Since June 2022, the Indian team has played an international series every month. It is a stark difference from the past years and that is why the growth can be measured and performances monitored better.
The Indian team travelled to Sri Lanka in June for a full white ball series tour (ODI and T20), 3 each. They played the commonwealth games in July-Aug in Birmingham where they finished as runners up to world champions Australia. Returned to the UK to play a full white ball series with England women, faring well there too. Went to Bangladesh soon after for the Asia Cup starting October where they became the champions.
It’s these consistent good results that has assisted in the sport getting the required attention. It is no brainer that only champions make headlines and this consistency led by constant international matches being played by the women’s team has assisted in garnering this support. It is just the start and, in all the hope, it will only grow more from here.
The players are the biggest catalyst in this now. It will be upon them to carry this ship to sail without compromising their own individual contribution.
So, who all have been the biggest gainers from this constant international match play. A few notable ones being:
1) Deepti Sharma- From being a regular member of the Indian team till early this year; was found resting in a few world cup games in New Zealand,2022. A return into the playing eleven after being given Captaincy of Velocity team in women’s T20 challenge; has not looked back. A player of the series award in the Asia cup will provide the confidence of playing a bigger role in the India team.
2) Renuka Singh Thakur- A player whose progression I have seen from bowling for Himachal team in domestic cricket to being picked as an India probable in 2019 to now leading the pace attack for India. Still very new to international cricket but her consistency especially from bowling in English conditions to bowling on Bangladesh slow paced wickets has shown her ability. She will hold one end for India going forward.
3) Rajeshwari Gayakwad- Playing second fiddle to Radha Yadav (also a left arm spinner) especially in T20’s has taken her opportunities well. A lot different skill wise to Radha; Gayakwad has provided the depth and variety to India’s spin bowling department. The T20 outings would have helped her.
4) Jemimah Rodrigues – Missed making the cut to the world cup team to New Zealand and picked up an injury in England that kept her on the side-lines in the last few months; but she put everything aside to play crucial, match winning knocks in the Asia Cup. What made an impression was that her preparation and implementation was very much in sync for her. Plus, the hunger to succeed was very evident in her Strokeplay. All this augurs well for India.
There is a lot of cricket lined up in the near future too. Domestic cricket has begun and in a couple of months Australia is coming to India to play a series. Likely that India plays another series before they begin with the T20 world cup in February,2023 in South Africa. Time to iron out the flaws that creep into the game in domestic cricket before the arsenal is added for international matches.
The world is watching and more so India is following the women’s team now more than before. Ladies; no time to rest on laurels.
(Anjum Chopra is a former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team. The views expressed here are personal)
