There is no doubt that Indian star batsman Virat Kohli is the biggest name in present day cricket. No player is even close to matching his on-field dominating attitude and performance. He has established himself as one of the most influential figures in world cricket, because of to his brand and on-field performances.
A glimpse of his influence was seen at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday when all the Indian players were celebrating the 2024 T20 World Cup at the stadium. This viral video is related to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and Virat Kohli.
While BCCI was giving cheques to all the players, Jay Shah shook hands with all the players one by one and after shaking hands with Virat Kohli, he kept looking at him. This was a fan-boy moment for Jay Shah. After which this clip is becoming increasingly viral on social media.
Watch Viral Clip:
Jay Shah literally got lost in Kohli that he forgot to shake hands with others😭❤️
The Major League Cricket, or MLC, is one of America’s biggest tournaments of the sport. Inaugurated in 2023, the first season saw 6 teams in the competition who will also participate in the 2nd edition of the league in 2024.
The inaugural season saw many twists on their route to the finals, as the group stages featured 6 teams, of which the MI New York were ranked fourth behind the Seattle Orcas, Washington Fire, and Texas Super Kings, all of which advanced into the knockouts in the first season.
However, then began MI New York’s one-sided domination of the MLC knockouts, as they won on 3 occasions till the finals, where Pooran dominated against the Seattle Orcas side, who were unbeaten till the finals but had to bow down their heads in front of Pooran’s heroic antics.
With several changes in the squads of different teams of the Major League Cricket, let’s have a good look at who can be the probable contenders for the cup.
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Top Contenders for the MLC 2024 Trophy
MI New York
With not many changes to their squad from their last year’s campaign, the defending champions can be one of the favorites to retain their grip over the trophy. Under Kieron Pollard’s leadership, once again, MI New York will be seen as the prime contender for the cup.
A stunning bunch of batters, including Nicholas Pooran, Tim David, the USA skipper Monank Patel, and skipper Pollard. However, the power-packed side lays its heart in the all-rounders, who are world-class talents featuring in all global leagues of the world. With the likes of Romario Shepherd and Rashid Khan, MI New York will have the best probable bowling lineup of the tournament that comprises Rabada, Boult, and Nortje’s brilliance and experience.
MI New York the champions of the debut season (Image: ESPNcricinfo)
With the Afghan skipper having led his national side to their first-ever semi-final just weeks ago, the beginning of the MLC, he will be their most dependable option to look at in their quest for defending the title.
Seattle Orcas
The runners-up will be looking forward to win the title this time (Image: Cricket Times)
The runners-up from the last season of the MLC will look to fancy their chances at the title this time around. The runners-up too did not make many changes to the squad, as the team would still rely on South African batters Quinton de Kock and Henrich Klaasen.
The two veteran batters are informed without any doubt, while Aaron Jones will be an equally convincing addition alongside all-rounders Imad Wasim and Bracewell, who are all set to feature for the first time in the MLC. With the likes of Burger and McCoy in the Seattle lineup led by the experience of Wayne Parnell, the Seattle Orcas might look to have another terrific run in the tournament just like the edition of MLC 2023.
San Francisco Unicorns
The Unicorns did not have the best of starts to their MLC legacy, as they failed to advance into the knockouts of the MLC 2024. However, with several additions to the squad, they are a new unit and may look forward to turning their fortunes in the Cup.
San Francisco Unicorns robe in Cummins for the MLC 2024 (Image: Sportstar – The Hindu)
Despite the inclusion of Australian ODI and test captain Pat Cummins, Corey Anderson has been picked to serve the role of a skipper for the San Francisco Unicorns. A very worthy and power-packed batting unit that is all set to fire with the in-form Allen, Fraser McGurk, and Rutherford. All three will be seen giving their bests alongside Short and Inglis, who are also about to make their debut in the competition.
Cummins will lead their bowling unit alongside Haris Rauf and Matt Henry, and owing to the pitches of the United States, these bowlers who produce immense variations can be an asset in the Cup for the side. They led by Anderson and guided by Cummins will look to go beyond teams like the Washington Freedom and the Texas Super Kings, who, despite having a great bunch of players, might not have the quality to advance into the knockouts of the game.
The World Cup T20 2024 marked some breathtaking cricketing action in the T20s in the States and the Caribbean; however, it not only ended India’s World Cup drought of 13 years but also ended some splendid international careers of many greats of the game.
India, under skipper Rohit Sharma, ended their 13-year-long wait in World Cups as they lifted the cup at Barbados, denying the Proteas their maiden trophy in ICC tournaments. After the end of the World Cup and the exit of their teams, several players have announced their exit from the shortest format of the game.
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Top 5 players to announce retirement post-World Cup
Trent Boult
After New Zealand’s group-stage exit and the humiliating losses against the West Indies and Afghanistan, star pacer Trent Boult quit playing for his national side in the shortest format of the game. Kiwi maestro, who has had a career worth remembering in both international and franchise cricket, will no longer be seen in the Blackcaps shirt.
The 34-year-old left-arm fast bowler has picked 83 wickets for the Blackcaps in 61 matches and was last seen playing for them against Uganda in the T20 World Cup 2024. Boult will continue to be seen in franchise-level cricket tournaments, like the IPL, SA20, Abu Dhabi T20 League, and Major League Cricket. The star, who still has a lot to contribute to this wonderful game, has decided to opt out of international T20s and converge his focus on franchise tournaments.
David Warner
David Warner quits International T20s post Australia’s end to the World Cup campaign (Image: The Economic Times)
Warner, the 37-year-old legendary Australian cricketer, has proceeded step-by-step to an end to his celebrated career. Australia’s pocket dynamite first bids goodbye to the longest format of the game post Australia’s win in the WTC finals in 2023.
He also announced his exit from the ODI format after Australia’s trophy triumph in India in the World Cup 2023. This was the veteran batter’s 2nd World Cup trophy with the kangaroos, with only the shortest format of the game remaining for consideration.
After Australia’s humiliating exit from the T20 World Cup 2024, again the culprits being Afghanistan, David Warner quit the shortest format of the game for the Aussies, as he will now be seen featuring for different franchise teams in the world. Though some cryptic posts on Instagram have hinted at the Superstar’s surprise return, nothing official has not been declared by the Aussie opener.
Ravindra Jadeja
India’s all-format all-rounder turned out to be the third player, after skipper and veteran batter, to announce his retirement from international T20s. The legend though has not been India’s major contributor in the shortest format, yet his endless contributions with the bat, ball, and especially on the field have been a blessing to Indian cricket.
Jadeja, who has scored 500+ runs and picked over 50 wickets internationally for the Men in Blue, will now no longer be seen in the India team, though India stands quite a chance to replace him in no time, especially with Axar lined up for a similar role in the team.
CSK veteran bids adieu to T20Is (Image: Hindustan Times)
Rohit Sharma
Veteran Indian batter, World Cup-winning skipper, and the highest scorer in T20 internationals—what more can you add to the Veterans tally as he leaves representing India in the shortest format of the game?
With a clear indication from the board president, Roger Binny, the big boys will be playing in India’s 50-over campaign at the Champions Trophy in the forthcoming year. However, Sharma has officially confirmed his exit from the shortest format of the game.
Rohit finally led India to a World Cup title, the second of his career, and also ended his career on a strong note as he finished as India’s highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup 2024. The great will however be seen in the IPL for quite some years to come.
Virat Kohli
The name says it all as it needs a description. The legend’s farewell has wrenched the hearts of millions of fans and will continue to do so. Hard to find another great like him, the legend retired after a perfect innings at the T20 World Cup final in Barbados and won his first major ICC tournament since the last Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.
With 4000+ runs in the format internationally, Kohli bid goodbye to the format and will now only be seen in the shortest format of the game for his franchise team Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
IND vs ZIM: The five-match T20 series between India and Zimbabwe is all set to get underway. The first game of the series will start on July 5 at the Harare Sports Club, Harare. It is the start of a new era, as none of the players who won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 are part of this IND vs ZIM series.
Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility to lead his young side. There are 5–6 players who have never played a T20I for India before, and this is their maiden T20I cap. But will everyone get a chance? It will be a big question. In this article, we will talk about three Indian stars who might not get a game in the coming IND vs ZIM series.
3 Indian Players who might warm bench in the IND vs ZIM T20 Series
1. Tushar Deshpande
3 Indian Stars who might not get a game in five-match IND vs ZIM T20 Series 7
Tushar Deshpande has gotten his maiden T20I call after a good performance in the IPL 2024. He took 17 wickets in 13 matches for the Chennai Super Kings. He showed how good he is with new and old balls. That’s why he is part of the IND vs ZIM series. But with Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan in the team, it looks difficult to get a game in the coming series.
2. Harshit Rana
Harshit Rana has been added to the squad for the first two games. He has been added because three Indian stars are going to join the team after the first two games. Harshit is also someone, who had a brilliant IPL 2024 and was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders. The pacer took 19 wickets in 11 innings and was one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament. But he might have to sit out in the presence of slightly more experienced bowlers.
3. Sai Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan has also been added because Yashasvi Jaiswal is not available for the first two games. The left-hander has been in great form and is a consistent scorer. He scored 527 runs in 12 innings for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2024. He showed that he has different gears which can be used in different situations. But he is the opener, and the team for the IND vs ZIM squad has Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, and Yashasvi Jaiswal (for the last three games). So it won’t be hard for him to make his way to the top.
IND vs ZIM: The young Team India are ready to face the challenge on their first tour. Shubman Gill will be captaining the team for the first time in his career, which will face Zimbabwe in the five-match T20 series. The first game of the series will start on Saturday at Harare Sports Club. There are a number of young faces in the Indian side.
That is why this series will be very important for India going forward. Zimbabwe have some big names on their side, which will pose a challenge to the Indian team. Overall, everyone is expecting a tight battle between two teams. In this article, we will talk about three key player battles during the first IND vs ZIM T20 match.
3 Key Battles to Watch Out for in IND vs ZIM 1st T20
1. Shubman Gill vs Blessing Muzarabani
3 Key Player battles to watch out for in IND vs ZIM 1st T20 9
All eyes will be on Shubman Gill, who will be making his captaincy debut. He is a free-flowing batsman who likes to take on the bowlers from the start. Gill has been among the runs, irrespective of the format and level he is playing at. So India’s chances will depend a lot on him and how he goes about the business.
That’s why it will be important to dismiss him early. That’s where Blessing Muzarabani will be a challenge. Zimbabwe’s pacer has been in tremendous form. He swings the ball and generates an extra bounce that can cause problems for Gill. So this battle in the IND vs ZIM first match will decide many things.
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Richard Ngarava
Ruturaj Gaikwad is another Indian batter who has been in good form and is one of the few players to have played a handful of T20Is. He had an excellent IPL 2024 with the bat and finished the tournament as the second-highest run scorer. Gaikwad was the top scorer in the last T20I series he played for India.
But he will be up against Richard Ngarava. The left-arm pacer brings the ball in to right-handers. His record against right-handed batters is pretty impressive, and he will be a hurdle to cross in the IND vs ZIM first game.
3. Sikandar Raza vs Ravi Bishnoi
Sikandar Raza is the most experienced batter on either side. He is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s batting unit, and his form will determine a lot whether Zimbabwe can compete in this series or not. If he gets out, there will be a lot of pressure on the other batters.
That’s where India need to find someone, who can trouble him. Ravi Bishnoi can be that guy. He is a wicket-taker in the middle and will be India’s biggest weapon. It won’t be easy to pick him, and he can be a good bowler.
The Major League Cricket, MLC 2024 is knocking at the doorstep, as the second edition of the tournament begins on Saturday. With its inaugural season played in 2023, the MI New York were the standout performers in the league and went on to be the champions under skipper Nick Pooran, who played a stunning hand in their title victory.
With some very crucial signings, especially with the drafting of several Australian maestros ahead of the 2nd edition, the MLC will be a contest worth witnessing.
With a new set of players, along with the retained players from the first season, let’s take a look at the Top 5 batters who stand a chance to score the highest runs ahead of MLC 2024.
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Top 5 batters who stand a chance to score the highest runs ahead of MLC 2024
Marcus Stoinis
Stoinis roped in by Texas Super Kings for MLC 2024 (image: CricTracker)
The Texas Super Kings have drafted the big Australian for their 2024 MLC campaign. The last time semifinalists had already had quite some spectacular performers in their team sheets, while Stoinis will be an in-form inclusion to the side.
The big Australian was a commanding performer in the Indian Premier League and also performed overwhelmingly for his national side in the T20 World Cup. Stoinis, who has evolved to be a middle-order batter, letting go of his role as a finisher has helped sides retain him, and his evolving bowling skills are a cherry on top.
Quinton de Kock
The South African veteran, who announced his retirement from the Tests and ODIs, has been a constant surprise in the shortest format of the game. He has been a part of every global T20 league since he stopped featuring for the Proteas.
Playing for the Seattle Orcas, QDK scored 264 runs, averaging a brilliant 44 in the 7 games of the tournament. He is one of the most worthy retentions of the MLC 2024, and his contributions are supposed to be of great value to his team. In short, the veteran can once again be found among the top scorers of the league.
The hard-hitting youngster from Australia is now gaining the status of a world-class T20 batter due to his fearless stride and fast run-scoring in the powerplay, for which he has often received praise and recognition from players around the world.
IPL done, MLC next on the cards for young McGurk (Image: Cricket Australia)
Featuring for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2024, McGurk was one of the very reasons the Capitals bounced back in the later stages of the competition. Though he was not the most consistent performer, he added fire to the innings whenever he got going in the powerplay. Such will be his role, as the 21-year-old is about to make his debut in yet another league featuring players of global standard. Picked by the San Francisco Unicorns, McGruk will be most probably seen alongside Finn Allen, and together they can be the most explosive opening pair of MLC 2024.
Nicholas Pooran
The West Indies wk-bat has been a constant performer over the recent few years, in whichever league he has played in. From playing in the IPL for Lucknow Super Giants to making vital contributions to his team’s score in the T20 World Cup, Pooran is one of the most reliable batters to keep your cards on.
The small-packet dynamite is often seen hitting massive sixes; it was his blistering knock of 137 runs on just 55 balls that included 13 sixes, which took MI New York over the line, and they went on to be the champions of the debut season. Not only MI New York but the entire cricket world would hope to witness such brilliance from the Windies batter.
Travis Head
Head all set to feature for Washington Freedom (Image: Times of India)
The Washington Freedom have reformed their squad with several inclusions, especially from Australia and New Zealand. They named Steven Smith the captain, alongside drafting players like Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Rachin Ravindra, and Lockie Ferguson.
Head has been the proclaimed best batter in the world since his heroics in the World Cup final for Australia last year. Head’s century earned immense recognition for him, and he went on to feature for IPL runner-up Sunrisers Hyderabad and was their highest scorer, scoring above 550 runs.
His inclusion in the MLC can only add a great batting scope to the Freedom squad as well as the Major League Cricket. He can be the first choice to be the most probable highest run-getter in this edition of the MLC.
IND vs ZIM 1st T20I: Shubman Gill-led India have landed on the land of Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series against the hosts Zimbabwe. With a new squad and youngster taking on the responsibilities, here we are to predict the strongest India Playing 11 for the IND vs ZIM 1st T20I of India Tour of Zimbabwe 2024.
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The Zimbabwe tour of the team India was scheduled just after the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The retirement of big names including the skipper Rohit Sharma pressed the button for the reboot of the T20I regime.
India Playing 11 for the IND vs ZIM 1st T20I Prediction
The BCCI selection committee has done wonderful work with the selection of the squad where they picked up a young and balanced squad with a little of experience too.
INDIA Squad vs Zimbabwe
Shubman Gill (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Harshit Rana
Shubman Gill has been assigned the captaincy duties and he will have a tough call right at the top with the opening combinations. Yashasvi Jaiswal has raised his name on the international stage loudly so one end is cemented for him for the instance.
For the second end in the opening, he has four names- Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, and he himself. However, Gill would be the ideal one in the squad to fill in Kohli’s spot as number 3 in the T20I so Ruturaj has more weight for the opening spot.
Image: Chandan Khanna / AFP
Riyan Parag should be the next in number four. His ability to hit the spin and slog the pace is excellent and he can finish innings with power. This lineup would be weak if Rinku Singh wasn’t there. His appearance down the order makes a huge impact and can run down the morale of any opponent. He will be there at number five.
There will be a toss-up between wicketkeeper-batters Dhruv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma. They both possess a similar sort of biodata so any of them would be the perfect one to enter at number six and his six-hitting abilities down the order would be very useful for the team.
Washington Sunder and Ravi Bishnoi would be the two spinners at number seven or eight and with the batting skills of Washington Sunder, India do have a long batting up to number 7.
Ravi Bishnoi
Three spots for pacers and Mukesh Kumar is almost certain to be there. He will be leading the pace bowling attack and the other two might be Khaleel and Avesh Khan or Harshit Rana.
Khaleel gives an option of a left-arm bowler with his incredible swinging abilities with the new ball and we have seen in the T20 World Cup, what a left-armer did for India. Avesh has played for India in the past and him being included in the playing 11 won’t be surprising.
Below is the India’s playing 11 for IND vs ZIM 1st T20I:
India’s Expected Playing 11
Yashasvi Jaiswal Ruturaj Gaikwad Shubman Gill Riyan Parag Rinku Singh Dhruv Jurel/Jitesh Sharma Washington Sunder Ravi Bishnoi Avesh Khan/Harshit Rana Mukesh Kumar Khaleel Ahmed
India’s Cricket Governing Body, the Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a victory-parade for the Indian Cricket Team in honour of them lifting the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 trophy in the West Indies.
The Men in Blue will arrive in India’s Capital city – Delhi on Thursday of this week after beating Aiden Markram’s South Africa by a margin of seven runs in a really entertaining Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final in the city of Barbados on 29th of June.
#WATCH | Men's Indian Cricket Team waves at supporters gathered at Delhi airport to welcome the winning team.
After lifting their second T20 World Cup trophy, the Men in Blue were stuck in Barbados due to the threat of a hurricane. The BCCI then arranged a special Air India charter flight for the entire team members and support staff members to help them travel back to India safely.
The Indian Cricket Team will land in India’s capital city of Delhi at 6 AM on Thursday of this week. They will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast at 11:00 AM. Following their meeting with the PM, the Rohit Sharma-led team will travel to Mumbai in chartered flight for the victory parade.
The Indian Cricket Governing Body will also be felicitating and honouring the Men in Blue with a massive prize pool of 125 Crore Indian Rupees at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Jay Shah, the secretary of the BCCI also gave an invitation to all the Cricket fans to join the Rohit Sharma-led team in celebrating the T20 World Cup 2024 victory together.
“Indian fans do join us for the Victory-Parade where we will be honouring India’s T20 World Cup win! Come to the iconic Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium of Mumbai on 4th of July from 5 PM IST to celebrate the triumph along with us!” Shah wrote on his X handle.
Captain Rohit Sharma also wrote a special message on his X handle for the Indian Cricket Team fans to join them in the victory-parade.
“India, let’s celebrate the World Cup win with a victory-parade at Wankhede and Marine Drive on 4th of July at 5:00 PM IST. The trophy is coming home♥🏆,” Sharma wrote on his X handle.
A victory parade for the 2024 T20 World Cup winners will witness Rohit Sharma and his meb participate in an open-top bus parade in the city of Mumbai.
The victory-parade will start from NCPA, Nariman Point and end in the Wankhede Stadium. The parade will start from 5 PM IST onwards.
A similar parade in the past was held for the MS Dhoni-led team after they triumphed in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 as they beat fierce-rivals Pakistan in the final in South Africa’s Johannesburg.
Where to watch Team India’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory-parade live?
Fans can tune into the Star Sports network channels on television to catch the live action of Team India’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory-parade from the comfort of their homes. The celebration can also be watched on the official YouTube channel of Star Sports.
India has been crowned the World T20 Champions in 2024, and they will be defending their title in the T20 World Cup in 2026, with no team having done it successfully before. However, the Men in Blue will have to rebuild an entire squad after the exit of their senior pros and the Ind vs Zim series will be a great opportunity for the same.
Not only on the batting front, India will have to fancy their chances and widen up their options in the bowling deck as well. In India’s T20 World Cup campaign in the United States and West Indies, the bowlers played a major role in the team’s initial to final success. It can undeniably be stated that it was the Indian bowlers who even led them to victory in the World Cup final.
Table of Contents
Unstoppable India’s road to glory as they were crowned World Champions
Captivating performances of Indian bowlers in the T20 World Cup
With Jasprit Bumrah still expected to spearhead India’s bowling attack for many World Cups to come, he needs support from his fellow teammates, just like the one he got from Hardik and Arshdeep Singh in the latest edition.
However, with an unsettled Siraj, India is still in the quest for a third-pace bowling option to keep aside Bumrah and Arshdeep, who might be said as the named constants for the side.
Indian spinners faced a major backlash in the finals, and with Jadeja stepping down, the Men in Blue will be in the quest for a new spinning all-rounder. With the Kulcha era almost coming to an end, as Chahal was not even placed into the starting XI on a single occasion, India will have to quest for a new spin duo alongside Kuldeep Yadav.
India’s bowling choices from the latest squad against Zimbabwe
India has rested most of their squad from the T20 World Cup and has given a chance to a new set of players from this generation. Having dropped all-rounders Axar and vice captain Hardik Pandya, India have picked the likes of Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma, both of whom performed exceptionally in the IPL 2024.
India’s two new all-rounders for the Zimbabwe tour (Image: ESPNcricinfo)
Even the entire bowling unit that featured in the World Cup has been replaced by a new set of players that comprise young and sporadic players like Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Tushar Deshpande, Harshit Rana, and Ravi Bishnoi.
Top 3 bowlers who can be future assets for India
Among the recently picked all-rounders, they have been stunning batters, but their bowling prowess has not been tested. With Axar and Pandya being frontline bowlers for India, it will be a tough job for players like Abhishek and especially Parag to step into their shoes on the bowling front.
Avesh Khan
The Rajasthan Royals pacer has been their star performer in the absence of Prasidh Krishna. He has stepped up to be an excellent bowler, especially in the death overs, though his new ball antics are also praiseworthy.
Avesh has an enriched variety, from a good stock delivery to a handful of yorkers and slower balls; he is a bowler with a lot more wit than finesse. He, under some rigorous guidance from Indian greats, can evolve to fill in the void of India’s third handy pacer.
Deshpande gets maiden call for India in Zimbabwe tour (Image: InsideSport)
The Chennai Super Kings youngster has grown to be a very competent bowler in the T20s. Playing under the guidance of the maestro MS Dhoni, he has evolved to be a bowler who bowls best to his field. Known for his wide variety of slow deliveries, wide yorkers, and especially his wicket-taking ability with the new ball, this has given him this spot in the Team India squad.
Playing in conditions, especially overseas, Deshpande will be effective as he will add to India’s void of a third bowler, who can bowl upfront to keep Bumrah’s overs towards the end of the innings.
Ravi Bishnoi
Since Jadeja stepped down from T20Is and Chahal is not a major fit into the India squad, India will be in the quest for a proper wrist spinner alongside Kuldeep, and who can be a better option than Bishnoi? Bishnoi has played in Indian colors previously and has been a standout performer on many occasions.
The LSG spinner is one of the wittiest spinners in India currently and has abilities to spin the ball to either side. Bishnoi brings stunning fielding antics and will be an asset in the format that demands great fielders, which can’t be denied after SKY’s catch won the World Cup title for India after 13 years.
With the Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in October later this year, India, alongside all other women’s cricket teams of the world, is looking to build up a perfect squad to increase their chances in the Cup. Especially after the dominating performance of the Men in Blue, the Women in Blue would look to pin their hopes on a title clinch.
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A peek into India’s preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024
India’s performance in Women’s T20 World Cup 2023
The Women’s T20 World Cup was hosted by the Protea women and the CSA in 2023. The Aussie woman and the English woman topped their respective groups and played in the semi-finals against the Indian and South African sides.
India women fought a neck-to-neck battle with the Aussie women in the first semi-final, where the Women in Blue faced a narrow backlash as they lost by just 5 runs despite the initial heroics from Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues. This was a major upset caused to the Women and Blue, which seemed to have strengthened their morale since.
India women’s performance in T20Is since World Cup 2023
India women, after the T20 World Cup semi-final exit, tried to strengthen up their squad for the shortest format of the game. After winning a series against Bangladeshi women, Indian women went on to win the Asian Championship in 2023.
However, playing against the heavyweights, Indian women have not produced something very special, as they have lost two repetitive home series to England and Australia.
Once again in a bilateral series against the underdogs Bangladesh series, India women emerged victorious with a 5-0 win over the side. With the Protea women visiting the hosts, Indian Women, this will be the Indian women’s last dig at their T20 World Cup preparations against a major side, one that played against Australia women in the World Cup finals of 2023.
The Indian skipper doesn’t seem to age, as she keeps on getting better with every approaching year. The batter underperformed at the World Cup in South Africa, which was a major setback to the India batting order that led to their failure in the cup.
However, Indian women would hope their veteran batter hits prime form before the World Cup approaches in Bangladesh later this year.
Shefali Verma
India’s youngest batter, in short, the dynamite of the India women’s cricket team, has batted as per the format demands. Her absence of form and low strike rate were a huge concern for the Women in Blue in the previous edition of the tournament.
Verma’s ability to hit the ball long has been lauded by many greats of the game, as she brings great power-hitting options to the India squad alongside WK-Bat, Richa Ghosh, who is often known to play an explosive hand in the Indian innings.
India Women’s two powerhouses (Image: Times of India)
Smriti Mandhana
No doubt she is one of the most established batters in the world and one of the greatest to have featured for India in recent times. Mandhana was also India’s women’s highest run-getter in the last World Cup, following which she has also kept up with her great form in the format.
Mandhana has been very dominant in the limited format of the game, in the recent series against South Africa. Her captivating form and presence will be required for team India to fancy their chances at the Cup in October later this year.
India Women’s Top 3 Bowling Choices
India Women’s biggest strength has been their great bowling prowess; however, that was their biggest failure when the previous T20 World Cup was taken into consideration.
Shreyanka Patil
The young Indian all-rounder has been a great performer in the WPL 2024 and was a major reason behind RCB women’s title-clinching in 2024. Patil is entrusted with a new role in the Indian women’s squad, as she will be their strike bowler ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Deepti and Patil – India Women’s latest bowling duo (image: India Today)
Deepti Sharma
India’s veteran all-rounder has been a constant performer for the team in every format of the game. Often considered one of the finest all-rounders in the world, Deepti is often relied on for her dominance with the ball. Especially with the World Cup played under sub-continent conditions, these spinners will be expected to lead India’s bowling.
Renuka Singh
India’s first-choice bowler with the new ball has been Renuka for quite some time. She has been a great asset with the new ball for the Women in Blue. Though she has lacked some great form recently and even failed to perform in the WPL, she remains one of India’s women’s most terrific bowling options.
Her form against the South African women in the home series might seal her fate for the T20 World Cup, as India is looking forward to a bowler to lead their attack.
