CWC 2022: The importance of being Sneh Rana

She has been vital for India with bat and ball in the World Cup

The England-South Africa game on Monday at the Mount Maungunui’s picturesque Bay Oval saw a few India players among the spectators. With captain Mithali Raj, Yastika Bhatia and Meghna Singh, Sneh Rana sat in a corner to check out England, whom India play at the same venue on Wednesday.

Sneh Rana celebrates after Richa Ghosh takes catch to dismiss Nashra Sandhu of Pakistan (AP)

All-rounder Rana, 28, is having a successful World Cup. Rana, a middle-order bat and off-spinner, had incisive spells against Pakistan (2/27) and West Indies (3/22). It was her dismissals of openers Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews that brought India back into the game after West Indies had got off to a strong start. And Rana’s unbeaten knock of 53 against Pakistan in a World Cup record 122-run seventh wicket stand with Pooja Vastrakar (67) was crucial to India starting off with a win.

Vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur said: “Sneh has been impressive and consistent in recent weeks. She has developed into a fine all-rounder. The most important thing about her is whenever there is a threatening partnership building, Sneh is asked to bowl and she provides the breakthrough. She knows her role well and loves to be involved with the bat, ball and also show her skills in the field.”

Rana made her ODI and T20I debut against Sri Lanka in 2014 but was derailed by bad form and in 2016 by a knee injury. In 2021, she staged a remarkable comeback to the India team after seven years with an unbeaten 80 in the second innings which, along with her four-wicket haul in the first, helped salvage a draw against England in a one-off Test in Bristol. Since then, Rana has been playing all formats for India.

“Before the New Zealand Series and the World Cup, Sneh trained hard in Dehradun. She is known to do her homework before a game. With matches against England, Australia and South Africa still remaining in the competition, Sneh will prepare herself seeing their previous performances,” said her coach Narinder Shah.

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From Sinoli near Dehradun, the daughter of a farmer, Rana initially trained at Masters Cricket Academy in Dehradun before moving to Punjab to play in under-19 tournaments.

“She was really depressed due to the knee injury and had to miss an entire domestic season. But after recovery, she made sure she did well in whatever opportunities she got. In absence of Mithali Raj, she captained Railways and performed with both bat and ball. Owing to that showing she earned a comeback,” said Shah.

“When she lost her father, she just went numb. It was the news of her selection in the India team against England which got her back on feet.”

Rana’s father Bhagwan Singh died after a heart attack last year aged 61, two months before her India comeback. It was to Singh, who played a key role in her career, that Rana credited her return to the India team.

“Sneh has been an impressive campaigner playing for Railways over the years. The way she played against England in the Test showed her application and grit. She is turning into a smart all-rounder. She is using the high-arm action well and giving ample flight in the World Cup. She should be playing crucial roles for India in the coming matches,” said Nooshin Al Khadeer, who is the coach of the Railways team and a former India spinner.