Sakshi Kaushik
- Jul 25, 2023
- 4 min read

BAN-W vs IND-W 2023: Four Major Lessons for India Women

BAN-W vs IND-W 2023: Top four takeaways for India Women from their Bangladesh tour.

The recently concluded white-ball series between Bangladesh and India's women's cricket teams demonstrated a spirited struggle on rank turners that benefitted the bowlers. The tour gave the India Women's squad invaluable knowledge and takeaways, even though India won the T20I series by a score of 2-1 and drew the ODI series 1-1.

In this essay, we will examine the four major lessons from the T20I series and discuss how India should keep fostering their youthful talent while constructing for success.

India's Selection Conundrum: Focusing on Squad Depth

The tour revealed several important details, including India's selection practices. While the selected team played brilliantly, certain significant absences puzzled cricket fans. Players who had recently performed strongly, such as Renuka Singh Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh, Shikha Pandey and Sneh Rana, were left out.

It is crucial to have a powerful and competitive team. The squad might have a variety of alternatives by adding more players to each position. This fosters healthy competition and guarantees the team's performance won't be hampered by exhaustion or injury. Selectors should be transparent about their decisions. Accountability in hiring practices will promote team trust and cohesion.

Worrisome Form of Indian Openers Raises Concerns

In recent years, there has been a rising cause for concern regarding the performance of India’s openers. Shafali Verma is one player who has drawn attention. In her last 10 T20I innings, she has only scored 165 runs, with an average of 16.5 and a top score of 33.

The obvious vulnerability in her partner's strategy adds to the team’s worries. Smriti Mandhana, unquestionably one of the best opening batters in the world, has been struggling recently. The vice-captain’s form has diminished significantly since joining the Women's Premier League (WPL). Her difficulties against off-spin, especially in the early stages of her innings, is of particular concern, making it a serious source of concern for the Indian squad going forward.

The Need to Prioritise Winning: Learning from Defeats

While India's victory against Bangladesh in the T20I series is commendable, the team must understand that every game, especially against strong opponents, presents an opportunity for development. Bangladesh has made amazing strides as a cricketing nation; thus, its potential threat should not be dismissed.

The team's main goal should be consistently defeating formidable adversaries like England, South Africa and Australia. Competing against more difficult teams reveals flaws and areas that need improvement. India ought to take these lessons to heart and use them to improve their performance by adjusting their tactics and addressing weaknesses.

India can build a path of continual progress by prioritising victory and accepting the lessons learned from setbacks. The squad can develop into a more resilient and powerful force capable of making a long-lasting impression on the international cricket stage through this combination of successes and failures.

BAN-W vs IND-W 2023_ Anusha Bareddy made her debut for India Women _ Walking wicket (Images_ ©BCCIWomen_Twitter) — Anusha was handed over India cap in BAN tour (Images: ©BCCIWomen/Twitter)

Nurturing Young Talent and Building Confidence

In addition to the difficulties and successes, the series gave a peek at the promising future of Indian women's cricket. Minnu Mani and Anusha Bareddy were both making their bowling debuts and impressed with their outstanding performances in favourable conditions. Their capacity for change and success is encouraging for their prospects going forward.

Any team's long-term success depends on developing its young potential. These aspiring cricketers need a friendly and motivating environment, which the India Women's cricket system must provide. They will be better equipped for future difficulties through regular exposure to international cricket, which will help them build experience and confidence at the top level.

The debutants, Minnu Mani and Anusha Bareddy, were India Women's shining stars in the series despite some dubious team selections. Despite the difficult circumstances, they showed their talent and substantially contributed to the team's performance.

With her off-breaks, Minnu Mani proved to be a strong opponent, collecting an impressive total of 5 wickets throughout the three games. Her ability to worry the opposing batters on rank turners demonstrated her abilities.

Anusha Bareddy, on the other side, didn’t get too many returns with just one wicket, but showed promise and potential in particular parts of the game.

The performances of the debutants revealed the depth of skill in the Indian women's cricket establishment. They could develop into crucial team members in the future with the right direction and more chances to compete internationally. Furthermore, former players like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami must mentor and direct the younger athletes. The younger generation can learn from and be inspired by their wealth of experience.

Summing Up

In conclusion, the India vs Bangladesh Women's T20I series gave India Women's cricket team several useful lessons. The importance of emphasising squad depth and open communication in selection processes came to light.

A sustained and prosperous future for Indian women's cricket depends on accepting failure as a teaching opportunity and developing emerging potential. The team may advance to becoming a dominant force in women's cricket by prioritising success while remaining open to lessons from setbacks.