3 players who could be groomed as India's answer to Grace Harris
Australian all-rounder Grace Harris showed yet again why the side from Down Under are such giants in women's cricket, with yet another outstanding individual display helping WPL side UP Warriorz pull off an absolute heist of a win against the Gujarat Giants.
She walked in to bat when UP were in a precarious position at 86/4 in 12.4 overs, chasing a target of 170, with vice-captain Deepti Sharma walking back to the pavilion. With three more wickets falling in quick succession, Grace and England bowling all-rounder Sophie Ecclestone were at the crease as UP needed 63 in four overs.
That equation soon became 53 in three overs and that's when Grace let loose. She smashed 20 runs off star bowler Kim Garth's final over as Ecclestone helped score 14 runs off Ashleigh Gardner's 19th. Grace then took over in the last over, scoring 24 runs in only five balls, sealing the win with a ferocious display of fearless batting.
She finished with 59 off 26 balls, highlighting the number of match-winners this Australian side has and the firepower they possess. On that note, let's now take a look at three players who could be groomed as India's answer to Grace Harris.
#3 Dayalan Hemalatha
Tamil Nadu batting all-rounder Dayalan Hemalatha is someone who has been in and out of the national team in recent times. She has played 15 T20Is and nine ODIs in international cricket, averaging a sub-par 9.00 and 11.60 in the two formats, respectively. She has been more successful with the ball, though, with nine T20I and five ODI wickets.
Her last T20I appearance came against Sri Lanka in October 2022 in the final of the Asia Cup, where she bowled a tidy spell despite going wicketless. However, probably due to a lack of returns with the bat, she was dropped from the national side and didn't make the T20 WC squad.
At 28, she isn't exactly a youngster, but her recent efforts with the bat in the WPL show that she has what it takes to be a finisher or a solid middle-order batter. She remained unbeaten in both of Gujarat Giants' matches against quality bowling lineups, with her 13-ball 21 helping them to a competitive total against UP.
Being someone who knows what it means to be in the Indian setup and is familiar with the side, she could be groomed to be India's answer to Grace Harris.
#2 Deepti Sharma
Grace Harris' UP Warriorz teammate and vice-captain of the side, Deepti Sharma is an obvious yet important answer to this question. Deepti has been one of India's most reliable all-rounders and is a hard-hitting middle-order batter. One could say she has already been entrusted with a role similar to that of Grace Harris, only that she hasn't been able to perform with conviction.
With more than 900 runs and an average and a strike rate of 25.43 and 106.32, respectively, Deepti has done alright with the bat in T20Is, but alright doesn't cut it if one wants to reach the heights Grace Harris has. Deepti was one of the players who was subjected to criticism after India failed to chase down 39 in the last five overs against Australia in the T20 WC semi-final, with the lack of firepower in their middle order highlighted.
Still only 25 years old, there's plenty of time for Deepti to develop her power-hitting game and deliver the big shots more consistently. She's a mainstay in India's lineup either way and a future captaincy candidate, and could become the team's finisher, a role Grace Harris essays to perfection.
#1 Richa Ghosh
Arguably one of India's most prominent talents right now, the 19-year-old Richa Ghosh is the best answer India can provide to someone like Grace Harris. An attacking wicket-keeper batter with a wide range of shots and the confidence to play them against any bowler, Richa has caught the eye with her performances and strike rate, and has a fair amount of experience in her short career.
She averages 26.80 and scores at a strike rate of 133.41 after playing 35 T20Is, and that strike rate is even better than that of the likes of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana.
While she hasn't always had success playing the finisher's role in the side, coming in at No. 5 or No. 6, Richa did impress in the T20 WC. She played crucial knocks against Pakistan, England, and the West Indies, although she couldn't quite turn up in the semis against Australia.
She's a prodigious young talent who has time on her side and possesses the skill-set to become a batter that bowlers fear. India have lacked sufficient firepower to compete with the likes of Australia and England consistently on the world stage, but Richa Ghosh could be the beginning of India's answer to that problem.