Cricket has been regarded as a religion in India. It’s no surprise that the general public holds it in high regard. Despite the fact that males have always dominated the sport, the women’s squad in Indian cricket has advanced tremendously in recent years. Although the Indian Female Cricket Team has existed since the early 1970s, it has only recently received widespread media notice and repute.
The team has had its share of successes and setbacks. Its long lifespan has helped it to become one of the best in the world. Among the competitions and titles were the Asian Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the World Cup.
The Indian Women’s Cricket Team won, making history in the process. With each winning, the squad disproved stereotypes and showed that women’s cricket has matured into a serious sport. The team’s impact can be observed throughout India as a result of its role in encouraging and pushing future female cricketers to seek careers in the sport.
Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj is largely regarded as the greatest batter in women’s cricket history. Mithali was an Indian batting virtuoso with over 9000 International runs. Mithali has not missed an occasion to inspire the entire country with her batting heroics since her debut in 1999 when she achieved an incredible century.
Mithali broke the then-world record of 214 runs against England in her third Test at the age of 19. Mithali guided the team to the World Cup Final in 2005 and was instrumental in the team’s return to the Finals in 2017. In 2003, she earned the desired Arjuna Award. Mithali Raj was India’s most experienced campaigner in women’s cricket, providing inspiration to future players.
Anjum Chopra
Anjum Chopra, an Indian ex-cricketer and current cricket analyst, began her cricket career at the age of nine. Her first experience was in an inter-college friendly match with the college girls’ squad, where she demonstrated her potential by scoring 20 runs and taking two wickets. Her batting had an air of apathetic class to it. She was consistent on both sides of the wicket.
She has led the team in a few events and, for the most part, begins the innings. She helped India win the Asia Cup for the third time in a row. She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2006.
Harmanpreet Kaur
The all-rounder is a fearsome batsman as well as a commanding bowler. Harmanpreet Kaur, like her idol Virender Sehwag, enjoys smashing the ball for fours on a regular basis. She can score quickly, keep batsmen in a tight chain while bowling right-arm medium-quick, and pull several wickets to completely devastate the opposing team.
Harmanpreet Kaur made history in November 2018 when she became the first Indian woman to make a century in a Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) match. This incredible accomplishment demonstrated her great talent and expertise in the game of cricket. Harmanpreet Kaur reached another key milestone in her career in October 2019, during a series against South Africa. She became the first Indian cricketer, regardless of gender, to play in 100 international Twenty20 matches.
Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana grew up seeing her father and siblings play area cricket. She made the Maharashtra under-15 team at the age of nine, and two years later she was playing for the under-19 team.
Smrti Mandhana was named ‘the Best Women’s International Cricketer’ by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in June 2018. In December 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) declared her the recipient of the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award, which is granted to the finest female cricketer of the year. On December 30, 2021, she was nominated for the ICC Women’s T20 Player of the Year award. In January 2022, the ICC presented her with the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.
Shikha Pandey
Shikha Pandey is an Indian cricketer and former Indian Air Force officer. Pandey spent her childhood in Goa, where she played cricket with local young men. She began playing for the Goa Cricket Association in her second year of engineering school. She had decided to devote her entire life to cricket before obtaining her degree. Pandey comes from Uttar Pradesh. She was born in Andhra Pradesh and grew up in Goa.
Veda Krishnamurthy
Veda Krishnamurthy, an Indian cricketer, made his international debut at the age of 18. Her debut in one-day international cricket came on June 30, 2011, when she faced England Women in Derby. Krishnamurthy showed off her skills in her first ODI match, hitting 51 runs. She is well-known in cricket for her right-handed batting style and right-arm leg-break bowling abilities.
Shubhangi Kulkarni
Shubhangi Kulkarni was an Indian Women’s cricket team right-hand batsman and leg-spinner. She made her test debut against the West Indies in 1976 and her one-day international debut against New Zealand in 1978. During her international career, which lasted roughly 15 years, she averaged 98 wickets and scored 1047 runs.
She received the Arjuna Award in 1985, making her the third female cricketer to get the prestigious award. When the Women’s Cricket Association of India was integrated into the BCCI in 2006, she was the secretary of the WCAI.
Neetu David
Left-arm spinners are usually a couple of inches taller than right-arm spinners. However, Neetu David, one of the Railways’ outstanding players, has proved that one does not have to be of great stature to become a master of their craft. The flighted delivery is one of her top options; she has mastered the circle so well that it has handled many of her victims. She could even turn the ball on tougher surfaces in New Zealand and Australia, while still providing slight pace variations.
Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami, one of the fastest female bowlers in the game, is well-known for her all-round abilities. Jhulan Nishit Goswami, a well-known Indian cricketer, played for the Indian women’s cricket team from 2002 to 2022. She is recognized as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of the game due to her exceptional abilities as a right-arm medium-fast bowler and right-handed hitter. Her extraordinary talent has solidified her place as one of the greatest bowlers in history.
Purnima Rau
Purnima Rau, a former Indian cricketer and current cricket coach, demonstrated her skill as an all-rounder, using a right-handed bat and right-arm off-break bowling. From 1993 to 2000, she represented India in five Test matches and 33 One Day Internationals. She played for Andhra Pradesh, Railways, and Air India in domestic cricket.
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