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Cricket PlayersAsia Cup preview: India search for a T20 identity
The World Cup campaign had exposed some obvious questions around their approach to the shortest format
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New Delhi: India may be heading into the Asia Cup with a title in sight, but perhaps an even more pressing prize awaits: clarity. Despite a disappointing early exit at the Women’s T20 World Cup in July, India is still struggling to build a team with a strong T20-coded identity.
The campaign exposed some obvious questions around their approach to the shortest format yet there remains some hesitance in course-correcting. With the Asian Games and Champions Trophy also ahead, the Asia Cup offers India a chance to show whether they have absorbed the lessons from that setback and begun building a more settled T20 identity.
Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes the team is still trying to find its direction. “We are still in a transition phase of our game,” she told HT. “At the end of the day, someone needs to have a clear vision and plan: identify players, stick by them while they get groomed, and then transition if needed.”
The uncertainty around selection has been particularly visible in recent months. Pratika Rawal’s inclusion for the Asia Cup surprised many.
Chopra rightly pointed to the batter’s limited T20 cricket and lack of recent match practice after an injury layoff. She also questioned why players who had emerged through the India A and Under-19 pathway, including Raghavi Bisht and G Kamalini, were not considered.
The larger issue, however, is not about one selection. It is about how India intends to build their next T20 side. Players identified as part of the future need to be backed through their initial failures rather than repeatedly moved in and out of the setup.
“There are enough opportunities now for players to get tested — India A tours, the WPL, and more,” Chopra said. “Nobody can sit back and say, ‘I’m not getting picked.’ When Anushka did well, she was straightaway drafted into the setup.”
However, Anushka Sharma was neither considered for the Asia Cup or Asian Games but will captain India A for the T20s in Australia A’s Women’s Tour of India in September.
For former India cricketer Reema Malhotra, the problem is not a lack of understanding of what T20 cricket demands. Women’s cricket has understood the importance of building teams that are designed for the shortest format but for India, the challenge is putting those pieces together consistently.
“When you don’t click, doubts and questions get raised,” Malhotra told HT in an interaction facilitated by official broadcasters Sony Sports. “You have to know what T20 demands: a combination of strike rate, power hitting and timing.”
“The T20 WC was a complete failure as a team. It wasn’t alarming but it was a wake-up call that you have the players in T20, but you didn’t use them.”
Malhotra believes Richa Ghosh, often reserved for the finishing role, could have an even greater impact if promoted to No. 3 or 4. The bowling department provides another area of attention.
Kranti Gaud is a fearless prospect who is getting better but Renuka Singh Thakur’s form remains a concern. India’s spin options, meanwhile, offer considerable depth through Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani and Prema Rawat.
It is Ghosh – if used up the order – and Sree Charani whom Malhotra identifies as her X-factors. “I feel Charani’s four overs will be the game-changing overs,” she said.
Sri Lanka currently holds the title, it remains to be seen if India can dominate in Asia again.
