Will India's 'strongest-ever Women's T20 World Cup team' secure their first trophy?

India have had a mixed history in the T20 World Cup, with four semifinal appearances and a tough loss in the 2020 final against Australia. Australia has been a tough opponent for India in the past, knocking them out of the competition in previous years. This time around, Australia is one of the formidable opponents in Group A. The Australian Women's team is known for stepping up in crucial moments, making them a challenging team to face. India will need to overcome their past struggles against Australia to set themselves up for success in the rest of the tournament.

India’s build-up to the tournament was smartly thought out until their best laid plans were scuppered by the developments in Bangladesh, the original designated hosts. A five-match T20I series in May, which India won 5-0, was meant to be an exploratory, preparatory tour intended to get the team acclimatised to the conditions that would broadly welcome them during the World Cup. However, the political turmoil in Bangladesh forced the tournament to be moved to the UAE – India kick off their campaign on Friday against New Zealand in Dubai – and though India haven’t played a lot of cricket there in the last couple of years, it’s expected that in Dubai especially, and in Sharjah, India Women will have more than one reason to feel at home.

Having moved the pieces around and tried out various options, India wear a reasonably settled look, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma providing the ideal combination of contrasts at the top of the order. The elegant left-hander and the explosive right-hander must set the tone for the middle order to build on exponentially. It’s imperative that Harmanpreet leaves her imprint on the competition; 16 previous T20I innings, almost exclusively at No. 4, have yielded a solitary half-century and five single-digit dismissals. She has, however, weighed in with a few 30s, and if she can translate those into more meaningful efforts, India will be well-placed to bat opponents out of the game or to chase down targets, no matter their magnitude.

The emergence of Jemimah Rodrigues as an industrious, free-flowing No. 5 has lent greater firepower and the profusion of all-rounders in the second half is any captain’s delight. Harmanpreet has multiple options at her disposal when it comes to bowling, with a richness of pace complemented by experience and exciting youthful resources in the spinning department. Shreyanka Patil, fully recovered from her finger injury, and leggie Asha Sobhana, both in their maiden T20 World Cups, will loom as central figures if the UAE tracks assist spinners, though how much purchase there is for the slower bowlers at what is essentially the start of the cricketing season in that part of the world remains to be seen.

India have played no competitive cricket since their shock loss in the final of the Asia Cup to Sri Lanka in Dambulla towards the end of July. That result illustrated that there is more to Sri Lanka Women than just their mercurial captain and destructive left-handed batter, Chamari Athapaththu. Sri Lanka are one of India’s early opponents – Pakistan complete the five-team group – and will attempt to reopen the wounds of that painful Dambulla evening when they subtly altered the balance of power in the subcontinent.

India possess a versatile, adaptable and experienced squad that might leave Harmanpreet spoilt for choices. Most of the ladies have also plied their crafts, with no little success, in overseas leagues and therefore possess the big-match temperament that is so crucial when it comes to a tournament of this magnitude. They look to have most bases covered and have made a perfect start to their campaign with straightforward victories in both their official warm-up games, against West Indies and South Africa recently. But Harmanpreet and coach Amol Muzumdar know that guarantees nothing. The first task will be to get out of a competitive group and into the semis. And then press the reset button.