5 Women cricketers who can get into the men's team

Cricket has always been a male dominating sport right from the start. However, slowly but surely things are getting better for women’s cricket. The likes of Mithali Raj, Sarah Taylor, Jhulan Goswami and many more have become familiar names when it comes to women’s cricket. The women’s game has a few differences with the men’s game. The boundaries are a bit shorter, the weight of the ball is lighter but the intensity with which women play is no less than men by any means.

Harmanpreet Kaur smashing sixes against Australia in the World Cup semi-final in 2017 is still fresh in the minds of the fans and that tournament changed things for Women’s cricket in India. Women are no less inferior to the men in the talent they possess and if given a proper platform and opportunity can be as destructive as men.

As part of a campaign launched by Royal Challengers Sports Drink, there will be a unique mixed gender T20 exhibition game, in which few players from RCB team and a few international women cricketers will take part. The Indian skipper Virat Kohli, Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur are expected to be the big names participating in the game.

Here we bring you five women cricketers who could play in the same team with the men:

1. Sarah Taylor (England)

The 29-year old from London is one of the most talented players England has produced. She is a wicket-keeper who bats in the top-order in ODIs and in the middle-order in Test matches. Sarah was a part of the England sides which won the World Cup and World T20 in 2009 and has played five Ashes series. In 121 ODIs, she has scored close to 4000 runs including 7 centuries at an average of 39.18 with her highest score being 147.

She has maintained a very healthy strike rate of 82.04. She has also represented her country in 9 Tests and 89 T20 Internationals. Taylor created history by becoming the first woman to play men’s grade cricket in Australia when she appeared for Northern Districts against Port Adelaide in 2015. Apart from being a good batter, she is very agile behind the stumps.

No wonder, she can play as a wicket-keeper in any men’s team today thanks to her ability to affect lightning stumpings and superb batting.

2. Ellyse Perry (Australia)

Ellyse holds the unique record for representing her country in both Cricket and Football. When she made an appearance in the 2009 Women’s World Cup, she became the youngest Australian Cricketer to have played the multi-nation event. The 28-year old from Sydney made her ODI debut in 2007 against New Zealand while she made her Test debut against England in 2008.

Her best bowling performance in ODIs came against India in 2012 when she returned with the figures of 5/19. Perry is also a handy batter down the order who can use the long handle. In 7 Tests, she has scored 432 runs at a brilliant average of 61.71 and the highest score of 213*. She has also managed to take 30 wickets with the red cherry. In 103 ODIs, she has taken 134 wickets and averages close to 52 with the bat.

She is a vital cog of the Australian side across all the formats and could end up as the best all-rounder ever in Women’s cricket. Perry would walk into the men’s team courtesy her all-round skills and rather play a crucial role for whichever side she plays.

3. Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)

The 29-year old from Port Elizabeth has become one of South Africa’s premium all-rounders since making her debut at the 2009 World Cup in Australia. She holds the record for the highest score by a South African at the Women’s World Cup. She had scored 102 unbeaten against Pakistan at Cuttack in 2013. The all-rounder also took 3/18 bowling medium pace in the same game to help her team progress to the Super Sixes stage.

In 2013, she became only the third woman cricketer to take a T20 hat-trick in a match against Bangladesh. In 101 ODIs she has scored 1714 runs with a solitary century and has scalped 112 wickets as well. Playing 73 T20 Internationals, Kapp has accumulated 791 runs while also picking 54 wickets. She has played one Test match for her country.

With the experience she has and especially for her exceptional bowling, Kapp will be a perfect fit into the men’s team on any given day.

4. Sophie Devine (New Zealand)

The 29-year-old from Wellington has represented New Zealand, also known as White Ferns, in both Cricket and Hockey. As an all-rounder and a vice-captain, Sophie has become an integral part of the New Zealand Women team. She started her career as a bowler who could bat a bit, but Devine improved her batting to the point that it became her stronger skill.

She scored a brilliant 145 against South Africa in New Zealand’s opening match of the 2013 Women’s World Cup held in India. Sophie Devine proudly holds the record for the fastest T20 International fifty in Women’s Cricket against India in Bengaluru. She achieved the feat only in 18 balls.

In 102 matches, she has scored 2510 runs at a healthy strike rate of 83.55 with 5 centuries and has also taken 69 wickets. In 83 T20 Internationals, she has scored 1955 runs at a strike rate of 125.16 and has taken 80 wickets. Devine’s aggressive batting and decent bowling will make her a utility player in the men’s team.

5. Harmanpreet Kaur (India)

Harmanpreet Kaur is currently India’s T20I captain while she is also deputy to Mithali Raj in ODIs.. She idolizes Virender Sehwag and has built her game on his batting. She is the first Indian cricketer (male or female) to sign a Big Bash League (BBL) contract with Sydney Thunder in Australia. The deal came on the back of an impressive showing during India’s tour of Australia in 2016, where she made a 31-ball 46 to script India’s highest-ever T20 chase.

In the 2017 Women’s World Cup, she smashed a 115-ball 171 against the Aussies and helped India reach the final of the tournament. Many pundits compared her innings with Kapil Dev’s innings of 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup. In 93 ODIs, she has amassed 2244 runs at an average of close to 35 and she has taken 22 wickets. In 96 T20 Internationals, she has scored 1910 runs with a century as well and has taken 25 wickets. She has represented her country in 2 Test matches and has taken 9 wickets.

Her ability to smack massive sixes from the word go makes her the major candidate to play for the men’s team. Interestingly, she could be the finisher in the current Indian team as well.