3 positive takeaways from 2022 for the Indian Women's Team
The Indian Women's Team have had a fairly successful 2022, closing the gap on some of the world's best sides. Despite two of the sport's modern greats in Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami bidding farewell, the rest of the players have been at the top of their game, especially in major tournaments.
India's ICC Women's World Cup campaign ended in heartbreak at the start of the year but they have bounced back strongly since. Harmanpreet Kaur took over as captain after Raj's retirement and rejuvenated the side.
Under her leadership this year, India won the Asia Cup and the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. With the T20 World Cup taking place in February next year, the Indian Women's Team has a few positives from 2022 to take into the tournament. Here's a take a look at them:
#1 India are turning up on the big stage
Over the years, the Indian team hasn't had the best results in bilateral series. Apart from the 3-0 ODI series win against England this year, the trend continued against New Zealand and Australia.
However, the team turns up for the big occasions. The team took huge strides towards winning a major trophy and got over the line at the Asia Cup 2022, a tournament they were termed favorites for.
Despite more competition at the Commonwealth Games, they were only one step away from ultimate glory but stumbled in the final against Australia. Earlier this year, the Women's World Cup might have ended in disappointing fashion, but the team stood up to the challenge for the most part in that tournament as well.
Under Harmanpreet Kaur's leadership, the team is making a habit of turning up when the big occasion comes along and are raising their game to go toe-to-toe against the best sides in the world. Come February 2022, the team will be hoping to overcome the ghosts of 2020 and go one step further by winning the T20 World Cup.
#2 The emergence of Renuka Singh
The emergence of Renuka Singh in the white-ball setup has been one of the key positive takeaways for India this year. With Jhulan Goswami calling it quits on her illustrious career, there was no obvious replacement lined up to try and fill the big boots of the legendary fast bowler.
Renuka Singh took the opportunity with both arms and delivered the goods for the team. She is the second-highest wicket-taker for Women in Blue in T20Is this year, taking 22 wickets in as many matches at an economy rate of 6.50.
She is also the third-highest wicket-taker for the side in ODIs with 18 wickets in 7 matches. With an economy rate of 4.62, she also has 3 four-wicket hauls in that period. The seamer from Himachal Pradesh has been one of the key positives for the national side this year and has also been nominated for the ICC's Emerging Player of the Year award to cap off an amazing year.
#3 India have a special talent in Richa Ghosh
In her young international career so far, Richa Ghosh has shown enough glimpses of the kind of talent she possesses. The wicketkeeper-batter from Bengal is a pure stroke maker who can score boundaries at will. At the age of 19, she is already one to keep an eye out for in the future.
In 30 T20Is for India, Ghosh has scored 427 runs with an average of 22.47 and a strike rate of 134.27. Her strike rate (150.58) this year is the highest for an Indian batter to have scored 250 runs or more.
She has also played 17 ODIs for the country already, scoring 311 runs at an average of 22.21 and a strike rate of 84.97. This includes a couple of half-centuries and a highest score of 65. She also became the fastest Indian batter to score a half-century in ODIs (in 26 deliveries).
Even in the most recent T20I series against Australia, Ghosh impressed with her performances in the second and fourth matches of the series, scoring 26 off 13 and 40 off 19 respectively.
With the kind of talent and potential she has, the sky is the limit for the youngster from Siliguri. It will be up to the team management to nurture her talent and ensure she flourishes on the international stage.