"The biggest bets are the two openers": Former cricketer Diana Edulji on India's prospects in upcoming Women's T20 World Cup
As the T20 Women's World Cup approaches, former Indian cricketer Diana Edulji has shared her insights and hopes for the Indian team on Friday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai when the trophy was showcased.
The tournament, set to begin on October 3, will see 10 teams competing for the coveted trophy, which was recently showcased in Mumbai.
Edulji emphasised the crucial role of openers Shefali Verma and Smriti Mandhana in India's campaign, stating, "The biggest bets are the two openers, Shefali and Smriti. They have to put a price on their wicket. The World Cup is fully dependent on them."
She expressed high hopes for the team, urging them to seize the opportunity to bring the trophy home, just as the men's team has done in the past.
Discussing the competition, Edulji noted that the World Cup is wide open. She highlighted Bangladesh's impressive performance in the Asia Cup, underscoring the need for India to play to their strengths.
"Bangladesh had an excellent Asia Cup campaign. We should play according to our strengths. It doesn't matter that Australia has won six World Cups, they can lose too. We have to give our 100%," she said while speaking to ANI.
Edulji identified spin bowling as one of India's key strengths, praising Deepti Sharma's consistent form since 2017 and her ability to hit in the final overs. She also mentioned the promising talent of Shreyanka Patil and emphasised the depth in India's spin department. However, she pointed out the need to focus on pace bowling, mentioning Renuka Singh as a crucial player.
"Our strength is our spinners, Deepti Sharma has been in form since 2017, she will be important for us in the final overs. We also have Shreyanka Patil, so, we have plenty of spinners. We have got more than 5-6 bowlers, so there should not be any problem," she added.
Edulji also acknowledged the strength of other teams, including South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England, Australia, and New Zealand, noting their consistent performance in international cricket.
"This is an open world cup, South Africa looks strong, Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu is in good form, Bangladesh is causing upsets everywhere, England, Australia, and New Zealand are all looking good and they are playing cricket consistently," she said.
"The support staffs might have learnt the lessons from their previous World Cups and they will hopefully not commit any further mistakes. The players are playing in Big Bash and Hundred. BCCI is giving them all the facilities," Edulji concluded.
She expressed confidence that the support staff have learnt from previous World Cups and will avoid past mistakes. Additionally, she appreciated the BCCI for providing ample facilities, with players gaining valuable experience in leagues like the Big Bash and The Hundred.
