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Pressure Points: T20 World Cup exit shows need for a deeper examination of Indian women’s cricket

By Samreen Razzaqui

The weight of expectations proved to be a bit too heavy for the Indian women’s cricket team at the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in October.

Despite reaching the knockout stages in five of the previous eight editions, the team’s early elimination is bound to sting.

While the build-up to the tournament had seemed methodical and strategic, the result in UAE has established that glaring challenges still exist. India had won crucial bilateral series twice against Bangladesh and managed a 1-1 series draw with South Africa on spin-friendly Chennai tracks.

All seemed to be going as per plan. However, the first hints of danger emerged during the Asia Cup, when a surprise loss to Sri Lanka in the final exposed several underlying weaknesses.

An obvious answer is the lack of match preparation before the T20 World Cup was moved from Bangladesh to UAE.

While some players maintained their match preparedness by playing in franchise cricket leagues such as The Hundred and Caribbean Premier League, the Indian team played no international bilateral series for the senior squad between the Asia Cup in July and the T20 World Cup in October.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup, India’s schedule on paper had suggested their campaign needed to be on track since the start. They were grouped with Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan and so needed wins in almost all their games before facing Australia in their final group stage match.

However, the reality check came in rather early in Dubai, when India lost by 54 runs to New Zealand, a squad that had previously lost 10 matches. This defeat appeared to take the wind out of India's sails.
The final nail in the coffin was a must-win encounter against Australia.

Chasing a target of 152, India once again battled to remain calm under pressure, a problem that has plagued the team at crucial junctures.
In addition, despite trying to show some strategy in approaching the crucial No 3 batting position, it ended up resembling a game of musical chairs when it mattered.

With a 50-over World Cup on the horizon, India faces crucial decisions about its direction. The team needs to address several key areas such as resolving the leadership structure, stabilising the batting order and developing strategies for handling pressure situations.

Meanwhile, the team’s leadership dynamics also indicate a need to look at the road ahead. Should Harmanpreet Kaur continue as captain, whilst remaining crucial to the batting line-up? When Kaur is sidelined, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana steps into the leadership role.

Her recent triumph as captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League has noticeably enhanced her leadership credentials.

But Jemimah Rodrigues, who featured in her fourth World Cup, has also carved out her own leadership niche, energising the team through pep talks and leading team huddles.

The road ahead demands not just tactical refinements but also a deeper examination of how to translate individual talent into collective success when it matters most.

Fun fact of the week: Bruce Murray, who played 13 Test matches for New Zealand, quit international cricket in 1971 because he did not want to play on Sundays. His granddaugher – Amelia Kerr – was named the Player of the Match and Player of the Series as New Zealand won their first-ever ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, beating South Africa on Sunday.

Amelia’s sister Jess Kerr was also a part of the World Cup winning squad in the UAE.

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