Mumbai

As the Women’s T20 World Cup nears, former Indian cricketer Diana Edulji shared her thoughts and optimism about the Indian team during a recent event on Friday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where the trophy was displayed.

The tournament, starting on October 3, features ten teams vying for the title. Edulji highlighted the importance of openers Shefali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, saying, ‘Our biggest hopes rest on Shefali and Smriti. Their performance will be crucial to our success in the World Cup’.

Edulji expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bring home the trophy, drawing parallels to past successes by the men’s team. She acknowledged the competitive nature of the tournament, noting Bangladesh’s strong Asia Cup performance and emphasizing that India must leverage its strengths to excel.

Bangladesh has shown great form in the Asia Cup. We need to play to our strengths and remember that even top teams like Australia, despite their six World Cup wins, are beatable. We must give our best effort, she said.

Edulji praised India’s spin bowling department, especially Deepti Sharma’s consistent performance and Shreyanka Patil’s potential. She also stressed the importance of improving pace bowling, citing Renuka Singh as a key player.

Acknowledging other strong teams such as South Africa, Sri Lanka, and England, Edulji expressed hope that the support staff have learned from previous tournaments and are well-prepared, with players benefiting from experience in leagues like the Big Bash and The Hundred.