Mithali Raj identified lower-order batting and spin bowling as the two areas that need to be worked on for India to become serious contenders in the 2018 T20 World Cup in November.
Mithali spoke to bcci.tv about India’s chances at the T20 World Cup, where the women’s team has had a dismal record. “There’s still work to do, but the team looks good with the kind of top-order batting we have.
“We have good T20 batters in terms of Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy. Smriti has been scoring consistently in these formats; youngster Pooja Vastrakar has been doing well with Jhulan Goswami. Shikha Pandey is an experienced campaigner,” she said.
Mithali Raj, India’s ODI captain, also delved into the areas of improvement for the T20 team: “A lot of work is needed in terms of our spin. The wickets are batter-friendly and more conducive for high scoring, so the spinners have a lot more to work on. And the lower order needs to contribute with the bat, because not in every game will the top-order score runs.
“The team should never be dependent on one player. We should have four to five players who can carry the team along and can win matches. For a long time, India didn’t have that.
She was also critical of her own performance. “I’m not really satisfied. I could have done well in the one-dayers and I am looking to be more consistent in the T20 format.
“Knowing we have done well in ODIs, playing Australia and England at home is going to be challenging because they are very good sides and a lot of experience comes with them, and it’s important that I continue to score runs for the team.”