With the India-Ireland Championship just around the corner, the spotlight is on the Indian women’s cricket team to maximize their opportunities and deliver a strong performance. An insider from the BCCI reportedly said that players are selected for the national team based on their talent and potential, but how they use those skills in crucial match situations determines their true impact.
According to a New Indian Express report, a BCCI source confirmed that once players make it into the Indian women’s cricket team, it is up to them and the team management to maximize their opportunities at the highest level. He also revealed that the BCCI is not happy about Arundhati Reddy and Shefali Verma being snubbed.
Star player Arundhati Reddy’s exclusion from the recent home series, despite her consistent performances in white-ball cricket, has raised many eyebrows. Insiders described the move as a “mistake in timing”, saying many were wondering why Reddy was overlooked.
Adding to the drama, Harmanpreet Kaur’s ambiguous response to questions regarding the exclusion of Arundhati Reddy and Shafali Verma has raised eyebrows. When asked about their absence before the West Indies series, India women’s team captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, showed no responsibility and said she was not the right person to answer, which upset BCCI and selectors.
Harmanpreet Kaur said in a recent press conference: “I can only speak about the team; The team is here, and (all) the things we can do to win this series. Regarding Chafali or any other player, it is best to ask the right people.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s response did not sit well with the BCCI, as the board felt that the Indian captain could have handled the issue in a more diplomatic manner. He criticized captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s comments, noting that they reflected poorly on the leadership, especially from an experienced captain, and suggested that a more thoughtful response could have upheld the integrity of the team.
The insider added: “The captain’s statement, ‘Ask the right people,’ was not true.” She could have answered that better. “This does not reflect well on the team and leadership.”
Shafali Verma needs to improve her game to make a comeback in the Indian women’s cricket team
Meanwhile, Shafali Verma was in excellent form, emerging as the top run-scorer in the major one-day competition and dominating the Challenge Cup with 273 runs in just three matches. Although she was ruled out of the ODI series against Australia, her performance kept her in the limelight.
But a BCCI source revealed that although her batting has been exceptional, she needs to improve her game to retain her place in the Indian women’s cricket team. The source stated, “Al-Shafali performs well in these competitions, but she needs to work on her field.”
India’s women are more likely to have separate teams for white-ball cricket
With the 2025 ODI World Cup looming on the horizon, India Women need a game-changing all-rounder. The source also highlighted the need to have access to both white-ball formats to improve focus and clarity if they want to win ICC tournaments. “If you want to win ICC trophies, you at least need an all-rounder who can get ahead of the game,” the BCCI insider added.
The insider signed off by saying: “No one has won the World Cup without playing this role. Take for example the men’s team that won the World Cup in 2011. They made Yuvraj Singh do this job. Who can take on this job for this team? Maybe now is the time for We have different teams for different formats and it’s one day and the Tests are different and you can’t play like T20 in those games.
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