As the Indian team brace for the big-battle with their Australian counterparts in the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday, there is a sense of anticipation among fans, who are confident that the youthful brigade led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will bring the trophy home, making up for the heart-break in 2017 when Mithali Raj’s side had failed to cross the final hurdle against hosts England in the 50-overs World Cup.
Four-time champions, Australia, will no doubt be the favourites to win the title again, but given the aggressive brand of cricket played by India so far, Harman and her teammates will certainly fancy their chances of emulating their male counterparts’ feat of 2007.
Watch-out for the ‘Fab Five’ in Blue jersey who hold the key to India’s maiden World Cup trophy in women’s cricket:
Harmanpreet Kaur
The Indian captain can hit the ball hard and long. Her ability to score quickly, coupled with her electric fielding and handy off-spin, makes her a quality all-rounder. She has loads of experience, and having played in the Big Bash League, Down Under, knows the conditions well. Surprisingly, she has failed to get going so far, but the Australians, against whom she had blasted a career-best unbeaten 171 in the 2017 World Cup semi-final, will still be wary of her.
Smriti Mandhana
The elegant left-handed opener was expected to lead India’s charge at the top of the order, but even though she has got decent starts, Mandhana has not been able to convert them into big scores. Like Harman, she too has BBL experience and has a mature head on her shoulders. If she and Harman get going, the Australians will have a mountain to climb.
Shafali Verma
The 16-year-old opener has the World Cup on fire with her power-hitting. Her incandescent stroke-play, that has fetched her 161 runs in four matches at a strike-rate of 161.00, has catapulted her to the top of ICC rankings. Nine sixes and 18 boundaries that have flowed from her bat are testimony to her fearless brand of cricket. If this diehard Sachin Tendulkar fan fires one more time on Sunday, the outcome of the match will hardly be in doubt.
Poonam Yadav
The diminutive leg-spinner has led the Indian attack admirably. She has choked the flow of runs in the crucial middle overs by picking up wickets. Not afraid to flight the ball, Poonam has picked up nine wickets in the tournament, including 4/18 against Australia in the opening game. Expect her to go at the Aussies with all her guile and variations.
Deepti Sharma
The lightly-built lass is a handy lower-order batter and a skilful off-spinner. She may not have the power of Shafali but is quite adept at finding the gaps in the field and rotating the strike. She has made useful contributions with the bat, and has been quite effective while operating with the new ball in the Power Play. Her all-round talent will be crucial for India in what promises to be a high-voltage finale.
