Women's T20 World Cup: A look at Indian squad ahead of final against Australia

India will look to lift their maiden title at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's T20 World Cup when they take on defending champion and hosts Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on March 8--International Women's Day. 

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side qualified for the summit showdown of the prestigious tournament for the very first time after their semi-final clash against England was washed out without a ball bowled at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. 

The Women in Blue progressed by virtue of making a top-place finish in Group A with eight points following victories against Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Australia, on the other hand, stormed into the final for the sixth time in a row after clinching a narrow five-run win over South Africa via Duckworth-Lewis Method in the second semi-final clash in Sydney on Thursday. 

The hosts made a second-place finish behind India in Group A, having sealed back-to-back victories over Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka following their 17-run defeat against the Women in Blue in the tournament opener on February 20. 

Let us take a look at the profiles of Indian players ahead of the final clash:

1) Harmanpreet Kaur (captain)

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will become the first woman ever to captain India in a T20 World Cup final when she leads the Women in Blue against Australia at the MCG. Sunday will be a special day for the skipper as she will not only celebrate her 31st birthday but her parents will travel from Moga to see her in action - her mother due to watch her play cricket for the first time.

Kaur featured in the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009, but it took a while, and plenty of patience fine-tuning her game as a go-to batter and off-spinner, for Kaur to establish herself as a name in the side. 

In the wake of a disappointing home World Cup where India won just one game in the group stages, Kaur was handed the captaincy reigns in 2016 - and that’s where it all changed. Kaur’s innings of an unbeaten 171 to flatten Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final sparked a new triumph for women’s cricket in India.  

In 2016, she became the first Indian woman to sign an overseas T20 contract when she signed for inaugural Women’s Big Bash League champions Sydney Thunder. In 113 T20I innings, she has shone on all fronts, scoring 2,182 runs and taking 29 wickets since her debut against England in 2009.

2) Smriti Mandhana

Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana made her international debut in 2013 during an ODI series against Bangladesh. However, she scaled unprecedented heights in the last few years. 

Since her debut, Mandhana has appeared in 51 ODIs, 74 T20Is and two Test matches for India, amassing a total of 3,811 runs across formats--including 1,705 runs in the shortest format of the game.

Regarded as one of the most reliable batters in the world, Mandhana was awarded the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year as well as ODI Player of the Year in 2018. She was also named in both ODI and T20I teams of the year in 2019. 

However, she has failed to click with the bat in the Women's T20 World Cup so far, amassing just 38 runs in three innings. Mandhana would definitely look to bounce back in the final clash. 

3) Shafali Verma

Young batting sensation Shafali Verma player her first match for India during a T20I series against South Africa in September 2019. At the age of 15 years and 285 days, Verma snapped legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's 30-year-old record to become the youngest Indian cricketer to smash a half-century--73 off 49 against West Indies in November 2019. 

She has appeared in 18 matches so far in the shortest format of the game and notched up 485 runs in it. Verma is also the leading scorer for India in the ongoing showpiece even, scoring 161 runs in four innings at an average of 40.25. 

4) Deepti Sharma

All-rounder Deepti Sharma is among the experienced players of the Indian squad for the Women's T20 World Cup. Ranked 4th in the top all-rounders in the ICC rankings, Deepti has appeared in a total of 54 ODIs for India and scored 1,417 runs besides bagging 64 wickets in it.

In T20Is, Deepti has featured in 47 T20Is amassing 390 runs and 51 wickets in it. 

Deepti, who made her ODI debut for India in 2014 against South Africa in Bengaluru, is also part of the Indian team that reached the final of the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup as well as the squad that reached the semi-final of the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in October 2018.

In the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup so far, Deepti has managed to notch up just 83 runs and two wickets in four innings she played for 
India. 

5) Shikha Pandey

All-rounder Shikha Pandey made her international T20 debut in March 2014 while playing against Bangladesh at Cox's Bazar cricket stadium. Since then, Pandey has notched up 37 runs in two Tests, 507 runs in 52 ODIs and 187 runs in 46 T20Is she has played so far. 

Besides this, the Indian bowler has also bagged 106 wickets in 100 matches she played across formats, including seven wickets in four innings she played in the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup so far. 

Pandey, who is making her first appearance in an ICC tournament since the 2017 Women’s World Cup, is expected to play a key role for India in the final against Australi as the Women in Blue look to clinch their maiden triumph at the tournament. 

6) Taniya Bhatia

Wicketkeeper-batswoman Taniya Bhatia made her international debut for India during a T20I clash against South Africa in February 2018. 

The right-hander, who was named one of the five breakout stars in women's cricket in 2018 by the ICC, has managed to score 121 runs in 15 ODIs and 139 runs in 49 T20Is she has played so far. 

Notably, she is also the first cricketer from Chandigarh to be a part of the women's national cricket team.

7) Veda Krishnamurthy

Right-handed batswoman Veda Krishnamurthy made a dream debut for India as she scored a 51-run knock against England in the Women’s Quadrangular Series in 2011. 

The 27-year-old was also a part of the Indian squad that managed to make it to the final of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup before the side slumped to a nine-run defeat against England. She also featured for India during the 2018 ICC Women’s T20 tournament.  

In October 2017, Veda became only the third Indian woman to bag a contract in the Big Bash League, playing for franchise Hobart Hurricanes. Veda has scored 829 runs in 48 ODIs and 856 runs in 74 T20Is she has played so far. 

8) Poonam Yadav

Right-hand bowler Poonam Yadav made her debut in international cricket in a T20I match against Bangladesh. Since then, she has bagged three wickets in one Test, 72 wickets in 46 ODIs and 94 wickets in 66 T20Is she has played so far. 

She is also the leading wicket-taker for India in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup so far with nine wickets from four innings. 

9) Radha Yadav

Indian bowler Radha Yadav made her T20I debut for India Women against South Africa Women in February 2018. Later that year, she was named in the national squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies. She finished as the joint-leading wicket-taker for India in that tournament, with eight dismissals in five innings. 

Since her debut, Radha has bagged a total of 47 wickets in 33 T20Is she played for the Women in Blue, including five wickets in two innings in the Women's T20 World Cup 2020 so far. 

10) Jemimah Rodrigues

19-year-old Indian all-rounder Jemimah Rodrigues made her T20I debut against South Africa in February 2018 and a month later, she played her first ODI against Australia. She has scored a total of 372 runs in 16 ODIs and 930 runs in 43 T20Is she has played so far. 

In the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup so far, she has managed to score 85 runs in four innings for India at an average of 28.33. 

11) Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad has been an influential player for the side ever since her international debut in 2014. The 28-year-old made both her ODI and T20I debuts against Sri Lanka. She has bagged five wickets in one Test, 67 wickets in 40 ODIs and 30 wickets in 24 T20Is he featured for India. 

In the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup, Gayakwad has claimed five wickets in four innings. 

12 ) Arundhati Reddy

Indian bowler Arundhati Reddy was also named in the 15-member Indian squad for the ongoing prestigious tournament. The 22-year-old has bagged 13 wickets in 18 T20Is she has played since making her international debut for India against Sri Lanka in September 2018.

Arundhati has claimed two wickets in two matches she has featured for the Women in Blue in 2020 World Cup.

13) Richa Ghosh

Richa Ghosh was added in the Indian squad for the Women's T20 World Cup, just a few days after making her international debut. Ghosh played her first match in the Indian jersey in the final of the tri-nation series against Australia on February 12.

Ghosh, however, has not gotten a chance to play for India in the ongoing showpiece event so far. It will be interesting to see if she gets an opportunity in the Playing XI against Australia. 

14) Harleen Kaur 

Harleen Kaur made her ODI debut for India against England on February 22, 2019. In the six T20Is she has played for the Women in Blue so far, she has managed to score just 23 runs while claiming four wickets. She was also the second woman cricketer from Chandigarh to represent India after Taniya Bhatia.

However, she has not got the opportunity to represent India in the Women's T20 World Cup so far. 

15) Pooja Vastrakar

Indian all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar is another player who was named in the Indian squad for the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup, but she didn't get a chance to represent the country at the big stage. 

Vastrakar made her international debut in February 2018 and since then, she has featured in 6 ODIs and scored 88 runs besides scoring 105 runs and 16 wickets in 20 T20Is.