Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

ICC Women’s T20 WC: Indian Players Who Had Tough Time in the Last IND vs. NZ Clash

India’s last T20I match against New Zealand was on February 9, 2022

The women’s team of India is set to open their ongoing ICC T20 World Cup campaign against the women’s side of New Zealand. The clash is expected to be a tough cookie for the Indian women in blue given the team’s history against New Zealand, which has been a shabby one.

In fact, in the last T20I game played between the two parties, i.e., on February 9, 2022, New Zealand won the game by 18 runs on its home soil. The game witnessed a majority of Indian stars who are in the T20 World Cup squad, falter like Jenga blocks.

Shafali Verma

Shafali Verma has emerged as one of the players who are known for managing pressure well. However, in 2022, batting as an opener, Verma could only manage 13 runs off 14 balls, losing her wicket to Amelia Kerr. Despite her prowess against spinners, Verma quickly fell into Amerlia’s trap. In the ongoing edition of the World Cup, Verma is one of India’s crucial cogs who must start firing all her guns from the very first game.  

Harmanpreet Kaur

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s top veteran, was also an easy target for New Zealand back in 2022. Over the years, Kaur has proved to be India’s reliable linchpin in the middle order, but in her last match against New Zealand, she was gone for 12 runs. The team’s captain has led India on several occasions but has missed trophies by inches. For the 35-year-old, 2024 could be her last opportunity to win a trophy for the Women in Blue.

Richa Ghosh

While Richa Ghosh is only 21 years old, she already has the experience of playing two World Cup tournaments, having made her debut in the T20I World Cup at the age of 16 in 2020, followed by the 50-over World Cup in 2022. The wicketkeeper batter has been quietly churning runs for her team, but in the last game against New Zealand, she fell short, scoring only 12 runs in nine balls. For the 21-year-old, it is imperative to find her footing against New Zealand in the opening game because if she does, her mentality of getting back at opponents will be enhanced.

Deepti Sharma

One of the finest all-rounders to grace the game for India, Deepti Sharma, will always be remembered as the first Indian woman to score a double century in ODIs. And while 131 wickets and 1,020 runs in T20 internationals speak highly of her prowess, her last game against New Zealand was a venture worth forgetting. In a high-pressure match with a low target posed by the Indian outfit, Deepti managed to put a dent by picking two wickets. However, an economy of 6.50 in four years was not enough to slow down New Zealand’s marching.

In the last T20I outing against New Zealand, PoojaVastrakar and Yastika Bhatia were also part of the Indian squad who have made it to the World Cup squad. Vastrakar picked two wickets and scored 10 runs in the said match, whereas Bhatia was the highest scorer with 26 runs off the bat.

India hopes to pull off a Rohit Sharma & Co.-style campaign, having lost the semi-final round against Australia in the previous edition.