Mithali Raj Advises On Key Improvements For India's Women's Cricket Team Pre-World Cup

Former India women's team captain Mithali Raj has advised India to address a significant issue ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup.

Harmanpreet Kaur and her team faced a heavy defeat against Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup T20 Final on Sunday. The Indian team, despite its star players, failed to perform against the hosts in Dambulla.

After the match, Mithali Raj highlighted a critical problem in the women's lineup that needs fixing before the T20 World Cup. She emphasised that the number 3 batting position and bowling require attention.

"Come October, India is going to participate in the biggest tournament, the T20 Women's World Cup. The areas I think India should really focus on improving are the number 3 batter position. They are still searching for the right batter to go at number 3. They have tried Hemlata and they have tried Chetry. But ideally, they should have someone who can really go big after the sort of opening partnership that Shafali and Smriti would provide. Also, the bowling aspect needs attention because right now they are going with only 5 bowlers. They probably require a 6th bowler, someone like an all-rounder who can bowl a few overs as well as bat. I think these are the areas India should look to tweak before getting into the World Cup," Mithali Raj said to Star Sports.

Mithali also expressed her best wishes to the Indian team and conveyed an encouraging message for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

"My message to the Indian team would be to play good cricket, play hard cricket, and compete. I believe you all have a great chance because it's in Bangladesh, a location with conditions that suit us. Our strengths have always been the spinners, and this time around our batting is also doing really well. So, good luck to you all," she added.

Raj's insights come after India's unexpected loss in Dambulla, where their performance fell short despite having a strong lineup. Her advice focuses on strengthening key areas before facing global competition.

The former captain's observations underline India's need for a solid number 3 batter who can capitalise on strong starts by openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana.

Additionally, she pointed out that relying on just five bowlers might not be sufficient for such high-stakes tournaments. Including an all-rounder could provide much-needed balance to both batting and bowling departments.

Mithali's comments reflect her deep understanding of the game and her commitment to seeing India excel on international platforms. Her suggestions aim at refining strategies for better performance in crucial matches.

The Indian team's journey towards the T20 World Cup will involve addressing these strategic gaps while maintaining their strengths in spin bowling and batting prowess.