Podcast | How Has the Indian Women’s Cricket Team Evolved?

We traced the Indian women’s cricket team’s evolution by talking to their friends and family. Listen in!

(Photo: The Quint)

As the Indian women's cricket team gets closer to the T20 world finals, we traced the team's evolution by talking to the friends and family of Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodirgues, Taniya Bhatia and the others. Listen in!

When India made it to the semifinals of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 in 2010, Mithali Raj was the one carrying the Indian batting line-up on her capable shoulders.

Her attack began with a 44-run knock against New Zealand, followed by an unbeaten 33 against Pakistan and an unbeaten 52 against Sri Lanka. A minor blip on her side against Australia in the semi-final and India went crashing out of the tournament.

Eight years later, she’s ready to right the wrongs of their last World T20 visit to the Caribbean.

Mithali may still be the one with the best cover drive in the world but the team needed firepower.

Jemimah Rodrigues

All of eighteen years old, Rodrigues boasts the most renowned profile of all three teenagers in the team. She burst into the limelight last year by becoming only the second Indian woman to hit a double hundred in a 50-over game, and hasn’t looked back since.

The team management’s bid to provide enough international exposure ahead of Rodrigues’ maiden big-ticket competition has resulted in 14 T20Is since her debut in February, and the spark has been there to see.

Taniya Bhatia

Bhatia debuted in February 2018, during India’s tour of South Africa. But despite middling returns with the bat, the 20-year-old seems to have the faith of the team management – so much so that India has opted for no back-up ‘keeper for their West Indian tour.

Forty-six of Bhatia’s 66 international runs came in ONE outing, with the middle-order batter failing to cross five in any of her six other attempts with the bat. But where her strength lies, is spin-bowling, with 15 stumpings to her name.