5 Indian women cricketers to watch out for in the Commonwealth Games 2022

Indian women’s cricket team is all set to feature in the cricket competition of the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. The 33-year-old senior batter Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the team in Birmingham. The women in blue will play their first match against the World Champion Australian team. Star batter Smriti Mandhana will be there in the role of Kaur’s deputy.

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Selectors have picked the final squad of the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games almost a week ago. The 15-member squad is studded with a star player who has recently performed well for the team in the last few months.

So, here we’ll have a look at the five promising Indian women cricketers on whom the expectation of the country will rely the most.

Harmanpreet Kaur (Batter & Captain)

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The board appointed Harmanpreet as the captain of the team following the retirement of former skipper and veteran batter Mithali Raj. Indian team has performed exceptionally well under her leadership in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The Indian girls won the ODI series with a handsome margin of 3-0 against the hosts.

Apart from captaincy, the Punjab-based senior batter can also make a difference with her bat in the Commonwealth Games 2022. So, she will be at the top among the players to watch out for India in Birmingham.

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Smriti Mandhana (Opening batter)

Elegant and stylish left-hander Smriti Mandhana is enjoying her purple patch with the bat for the last couple of months. She has all the abilities to smash some quick runs for the team in the powerplay overs with the new ball. She can help the team to reach a big total in the first innings and also chase any total while batting second.

Fans are expecting her to perform big at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium, it is also because of the fact she has a strike rate of 120 in the shortest format of the game.

Shafali Verma (Top-order batter)

The 18-year-old batting prodigy from Haryana’s Rohtak district is enduring quite a bit of a lean patch over the last few months. But her skillful batting style might emerge as trouble for opponents in the CWG 2022. She has an amazing strike rate of 139 in the quickest format of the game.

Nobody can predict the stroke play of this young girl. Considering his journey in the Indian jersey so far, management and the fans will obviously have expectations from him. Being a young and raw talent, Shafali will be an important point of attraction for the Indian team throughout their entire campaign in Birmingham.

Sneh Rana (Bowling all-rounder)

Senior bowling all-rounder Sneh Rana made her first international appearance for the Indian women’s team eight years back in the year 2014. Since then, she has proved her importance to the team on some very crucial occasions. Rana has enjoyed one of the celebrated years of her career in 2021.

Although, she was not a part of the team that toured Sri Lanka. It was the time when the 28-year-old was working on her fitness at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Keeping his brilliant presence of mind in consideration, Rana will also be a vital instrument for the Indian team in Commonwealth Games 2022.

Deepti Sharma (All-rounder)

Agra-born senior all-rounder Deepti Sharma has been a crucial part of the team since her debut in the year 2014. She has contributed with her stellar performances both in batting and bowling. She might produce a great balance in the team with her versatility and all-round skills.

Notably, Sharma has also featured in the renowned T20 Leagues like the hundred and the Big Bash League. So, it would not be that much tough for her to cope with the English conditions while playing for India in the Commonwealth Games. Considering her experience in mind, the Indian camp might be counting on her for sure in Birmingham.