Women’s World Cup 2022: India SWOT Analysis
Runners up from the last edition, Team India will fight for the elusive title in the Women’s World Cup 2022. The gala tournament has begun from March 4 in New Zealand and the Women in Blue will have a point to prove. India’s preparations for the gala tournament aren’t ideal as the Kiwis thrashed them 4-1 in the recently-concluded ODI series.
Nonetheless, the Mithali Raj-led side has several prominent names in the squad, who can make a mark at the highest level. However, it will be interesting to see how the Indian team bounces back after a horrendous show against New Zealand.
India’s squad for WC 2022: Mithali Raj (C), Harmanpreet Kaur (VC), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali, Yastika, Deepti, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sneh Rana, Jhulan, Pooja, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya (WK), Rajeshwari, Poonam. Standby Players: S. Meghna, Ekta Bisht, Simran Dil Bahadur
Here’s the SWOT analysis of India’s squad for the Women’s World Cup 2022:
Strengths: The batting looks pretty promising with the likes of Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana being in the ranks. The trio, who have been a vital cog of India’s line-up for a while, were among the runs in the series against New Zealand. Hence, they would be determined to shine at the mega event.
Weakness: While Indian batters did well in most of the games, their bowlers weren’t really up to the mark. Taking wickets with the new ball was a big issue during the New Zealand series. India had a hard time containing runs as well.
While Deepti Sharma did take 10 wickets in five games, she was often taken to the cleaners. While Pooja Vastrakar and Renuka Singh blew hot and cold, the leader of the pack, Jhulan Goswami did a decent job. The bowlers certainly need to learn from their mistakes to produce better results.
Opportunities: The national selectors made some tough calls by dropping the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues and Punam Raut. Hence, it’s a great chance for several players to stamp their authority at the mega competition. Players like Richa Ghosh, Sabbhineni Meghana, Yastika Bhatia and Renuka Singh have played just a handful of games at the highest level. While they have show great promise, the World Cup will test their mental grit and character.
Threats: As mentioned above, many Indian batters did well in the series. However, some notable names failed to leave a mark. Dashing opener Shafali Verma got chances in all five games but she could only manage 99 runs. While Harmanpreet Kaur did play a match-winning 63 in the last game, she managed just 33 runs in her other three outings. Hence, India can struggle if the likes of Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana endure an off-day.
