India has participated in the Women’s World Cup every year since 1978. India has qualified for the semi finals of the World Cup five times (1997, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2017), and has finished as runners-up twice thanks to a number of players who have proven their mettle throughout the years (2005 and 2017). Five such Indian cricketers are listed below.
Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj would be donning the blue jersey for the World Cup for the sixth time this year after competing in five Women’s World Cups between 2000 and 2017. Just 363 runs separate the Indian captain from breaking the record for most runs scored in a Women’s World Cup. Debbie Hockley of New Zealand is in first place with 1501 World Cup runs. The 39-year-old batter currently holds the fifth spot with 1139 runs, a strike rate of 54.23, nine half-centuries, and two tonnes to her credit.
Anjum Chopra
Anjum Chopra, a former India captain, ranks among the top run scorers for India with a total of 619 runs. She also has six half-centuries to her credit from the four Women’s World Cups she competed in between 1997 and 2009. She was one of India’s leading run scorers during the 2005 Women’s World Cup, winning “Player of the Match” against England after scoring 64 runs.
Anju Jain
Anju Jain, a wicketkeeper-batter who captained India’s team at the 2000 Women’s World Cup, has scored 570 runs for her country across her four World Cup appearances. India was able to go to the World Cup semifinals in 2000 because of her guidance. India, however, suffered a nine-wicket loss to New Zealand in that World Cup semifinal.
Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami, an Indian seamer, needs four wickets to surpass all other players in Women’s World Cup wicket-taking history. She has taken 36 wickets in 28 matches, placing her fourth on the list. Jhulan has two four-wicket hauls and a 3.25 economy rate in four World Cup appearances. In addition, Goswami needs four catches to overtake Jan Brittin’s record of the most catches in tournament history.
Neetu David
At an ODI encounter against the West Indies during the 2005 World Cup, Neetu David became the first Indian to reach the 100-wicket plateau. She recorded three for 11 in the contest, assisting India in an eight-wicket victory. Her finest bowling performance at a World Cup was a 5 for 32 performance against New Zealand in 2005, keeping the team in check at 184/9. India’s reaction saw them crumble, scoring 168/9 to lose the game by 16 runs. She had collected 30 World Cup wickets by the end of her third World Cup in 2005, 20 of which came in the final competition.