DNA Edit: Cricketers’ blues – Mithali Raj’s exclusion wasn’t a sound decision

India’s exit from World T-20 after a comprehensive defeat at the hands of England has raised a few questions. Was it a good idea to drop Mithali Raj? The veteran cricketer has been in fine form, having scored two half-centuries in the tournament — against Pakistan and Ireland — with a strike rate of 119 and 91, respectively. She is the spine of India’s batting line-up. Since it was a difficult pitch — not particularly conducive to batting — her experience could have come in handy. She had been part of the ODI World Cup final in 2005, 2017, and the World T20 semifinals in 2009 and 2010. The team management’s bizarre decision to drop her in the semifinals, that too against a formidable opponent like England, invited a lot of criticism. There was no logic in “continuing with the winning combination”. India lacked both in batting and bowling. Let’s face it: this team isn’t world champion material. It can at best occupy third or fourth position in international ranking. 

However, the current situation is an improvement of sorts. For the longest time Indian women cricket was stagnating. With the advent of a new generation of players — a profusion of young blood so to speak — the team has been gradually improving. T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur and opening batsman Smriti Mandhana have epitomised aggressive batting. The combination of the old (Mithali Raj) and the new has tremendous potential. Let the defeat in the semis be part of the learning curve. However, one thing is for certain. Women’s cricket will not languish in obscurity. The current team has captured the nation’s imagination. There is now much more interest in their performance than ever before.