CHENNAI: With no international cricket on the horizon till the New Zealand tour ahead of the ODI World Cup in February, as many as eight India internationals, who were a part of the recent tour to Australia, will be in focus in the Women’s Senior One Day Challenger Trophy beginning on Saturday in Vijayawada.
Ever since her India debut, Sneh Rana has been making headlines for the right reasons. After missing the first two ODIs against Australia, Rana came to the fore in the third with a brisk 27-ball 30, helping India secure their only win of the tour. Meanwhile, young all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar will be captaining India D.Former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy feels that Rana had the best comeback in recent years.
“I don’t think she needs to rediscover herself. She has already done that. In my opinion, Vastrakar has cemented her place with her performances in England and more so in Australia,” she said. Meanwhile, former skipper Anjum chopra said that Rana and Vastrakar would want to live up to the performances they have delivered so far in the upcoming Challenger Trophy.
Taniya Bhatia’s selection to lead India B in the Challenger Trophy indicates that the selectors might not be convinced with the glovework of Richa Ghosh. While the Punjab skipper is reliable behind the stumps, she would want to contribute more with the bat. On the other hand, Shikha Pandey, who has been in and out of the Indian ODI XI, will be determined to make a statement as captain of India C.
Rangaswamy said that making a debut is easier than making a comeback, adding, “Your performances should back you so much that your inclusion on your comeback should not raise any eyebrows. Those wanting to make a comeback need to perform here. It could be a big test for such players.”
Chopra felt that the team is in a building stage. “There is a lot of youth around and it’s crucial that their energies get the right direction. It’s nice to have seasoned campaigners around. Looking at the current scenario, I feel performances will be speaking louder than expectations and hope.”
Yastika Bhatia, Renuka Singh Thakur and Meghna Singh made some heads turn during their debut in Australia. S Meghana and G Divya, Indrani Roy, Ayushi Soni, and Simran Dil Bahadur are among the other names to watch out for.
Rangaswamy said the tournament is largely about creating a bigger pool of players to select from to fill the vacuum as and when the senior players quit. “You have to view it from a long term perspective. I think the BCCI is trying to widen the pool of players. We have a bigger pool. All those 7-8 players from WBBL are not playing. Senior players like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami are not playing. I think selectors have done a good job in trying to build a team for the future.” Echoing similar thoughts, Chopra said that it is an event for the hopefuls. “Let them all give it their best shot. It’s a long road ahead… more the merrier in the race.”