Indian skipper Mithali Raj supports Women’s IPL

The Indian Women’s cricket team has made the whole nation proud after an incredible run in the Women’s World Cup 2017. They lost the final match against champions England but the loss cannot deny their ability to compete in pressure situations. They have won the hearts of millions of cricket fans back home and those supporting the game.

In every sport, winning and losing is a part of the game and both should be accepted with pride. The Indian eves fought brilliantly in the final but couldn’t cross the line and win the trophy. On the other hand, the England team made a great comeback in the final with the help of pacer Anya Shrubsole’s important spell in the death overs to clinch their 4th title.

Story of the match

England skipper Heather Knight won the toss and elected to bat first. The openers responded well with a good start as the hosts were 47/0 after 11 overs. But the Indian skipper Mithali didn’t lose her calm and introduced left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad into the attack. The spinner got the wicket of opener Winfield. After the first wicket, England lost 2 more wickets in a hurry and

After the first wicket, England lost 2 more wickets in a hurry and were 63/3 after 17 overs. Then the wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor along with all-rounder Natalie Sciver got together for an important 83-run partnership. But India’s most experienced bowler Jhulan Goswami had some other plans as she came back with a brilliant spell and claimed 3 wickets in the match. England scored 228/7 in their quota of 50 overs.

The historical chase for India didn’t start well as they lost opener Smriti Mandhana for a duck in the second over of their innings. Skipper Mithali Raj also was run-out, leaving the girls alone in the crucial final. However, they didn’t lose their hope as opener Punam Raut and big-hitter Harmanpreet Kaur helped their team to make a comeback in the game.

But in the conclusive moments of the clash, their inexperience and some bad shots cost them the title. The Indian team was bowled out for 219 as they fell 9 runs short of the championship. England bowler Anya Shrubsole bowled her heart out in the death overs as she picked up 6 wickets in the final.

Girls were nervous

Indian captain Mithali Raj termed the inexperience of the girls as the reason for the loss. She said, “Everybody was very nervous and I think that resulted in our defeat. The girls are sad because they have given it their all. Its natural and it will take time. These girls have set the platform. They have opened a lot of channels for women’s cricket. They should be proud.”

She was very pleased with the performance of the girls. “As a captain I am very proud. I have seen the changes the girls have made. I’ve seen the transition. The team still looks very confident they will be a team that other teams will be looking out for. That’s what I’m proud of,” said the right-hander.

“We started off well. We had a few matches in which we were defeated and we came back stronger. Unlike 2005, this went to the end. The girls gave their best,” she added.

Women’s IPL great opportunity

The skipper backed the idea of conducting Women’s IPL and stated it as a great opportunity for the girls to showcase their talent. She was also impressed with Harmanpreet and Smriti’s progress and credited Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) for their success. “The WBBL has given exposure to the two girls who have played [Smriti Mandhana and Harman]. If more girls participate in such leagues, it will give them experience and help them to improve their own game,” she said.

“If you ask me they should have IPL because now is the right time to create that base. Women’s cricket is everywhere and they have put up a much better standard than the last World Cup,” she added.