After a nail-biting final at cricket’s Mecca, the home team triumphed in front of a raucous crowd. However, it was a type of triumph for the Indian Women’s Cricket team as well.
They entered the competition as underdogs and battled their way through countless odds to reach the major event conclusion. In the post-match news conference, captain Mithali Raj suggested that her team buckled under duress and that the time had come to launch the women’s edition of the legendary Indian Premier League.
Here are five reasons why such a recommendation from the skipper herself might be beneficial and crucial for Team India in the next year.
Make financial security for female cricketers a priority.
Despite reaching the finals of the 2005 Women’s Cricket World Cup, Indian women cricketers had to struggle financially to make a living. However, following their heroic achievements in the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup, it is past time for our country to develop a franchise-based league for female cricketers.
Improve Indian cricketers’ capacity to perform under pressure.
During the finals, one of the key flaws we identified in our cricketers was their inability to deal with pressure. They frequently made stupid blunders when the stakes were high, which kept them one step away from capturing the coveted Cup. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has confessed that playing in front of sold-out stadiums during the IPL playoffs accustomed young Indian cricketers to playing under pressure and performing at their best.
A chance to compete against the best
We may try hard to hide it, but there is a tremendous difference in the level of cricket played on India’s home circuit and in the international arena. Any T-20 league held in India would attract the top female cricketers from across the world. It would be a thrilling chance for someone like Deepti Sharma or Rajeshwari Gayakwad to bowl against Meg Lanning and Sarah Taylor on a daily basis. It is frequently stated that in order to become the greatest, you must compete against the best.
Improve all players’ big-hitting talents.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s lethal ability to clear the ropes quickly established her as one of India’s most deadly weapons in this World Cup. Kaur’s participation in the Women’s Big Bash League a few months ago cannot be overlooked. Playing in T-20 tournaments throughout the world stimulates a player’s aggressive impulses, and this is one area where Indian women cricketers have grown tremendously in recent years. If we want our cricketers like Poonam Raut and Sushma Verma to be able to accomplish the same on a regular basis, a T-20 league will be the ideal way to enable them to do.
The preparations for the 2018 T-20 Cricket World Cup
The 2018 Women’s T-20 Cricket World Cup will be held in the West Indies in November and December. With a little more than a year until the next World Cup, we need to start practicing in that manner. Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s T20 captain, displays exceptional power-hitting abilities and appears to be an excellent captaincy candidate. Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut, for example, should be given the opportunity to play in a T-20 competition.