Women’s cricket in India has had a couple of really fantastic weeks. First, five franchises spent more than INR 4600 crores to purchase a club in the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL), which was the first league of its kind. Later, the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup’s debut edition saw the U19 team win.
Thus, it can be claimed that women’s cricket in India is progressing in the right direction, however according to former skipper Mithali Raj, it is now still behind that of Australia and England. Mithali Raj believes that India can soon become a superpower in women’s cricket when the Women’s IPL begins and more players are given opportunities, even at the U19 level.
“In terms of parity with Australia and England, I would say we have not quite arrived yet, but perhaps in terms of standards, absolutely. But ultimately, with the WPL entering the picture in a few years, we would. The Women’s Big Bash and The Hundred leagues are already established in those nations. Regardless of who fills in as a replacement, they all have comparable bench strength somewhere. In an interview with Indian Express, Raj stated, “We are not quite there, but we will eventually get there in a year or two depending upon how WPL starts to roll.
At this point, just making it to the knockout round is insufficient: Mithali Raj
She added that the team currently does not have enough success to make the knockout rounds. She anticipates the team will rise to the occasion and perform admirably in ICC events given the increase in pay and facilities, since expectations keep rising with each successful outing. The senior women’s team advanced to both the 2017 and 2020 T20 World Cup finals, although both times they fell to England and Australia in the championship game.
At this point, just making it to the knockout round is insufficient. There are other teams who are at a point where we were a few years ago if you were to compare us to the rest of the globe aside from Australia and England or even New Zealand. Yes, if we receive all the amenities, including the increased match fees, the needed camps, and the opportunity to arrive early for acclimatisation. Expectations will eventually rise. People won’t be content to play the semifinals and championship game alone. The 40-year-old predicted that they would likely prevail.
India
