'Team Has Advantage,': Mithali Raj Confident UAE Conditions to Boost India in Women's T20 World Cup

With the much awaited October start of the T20 Women's World Cup, everyone is focused on the exciting action. On Friday, October 4, 2024, the favourites, the India Women's squad, will begin their campaign against New Zealand Women's. In what appears to be an entertaining competition, cricket fans are keenly expecting this battle of giants.

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Mithali Raj believes that India will look to make the most out of the UAE conditions at the T20 Women’s World Cup

Former Indian captain Mithali Raj said that the UAE's situation will help the players and offered her optimistic view on the team's chances in the next ICC T20 World Cup . India will commence their campaign against New Zealand on October 4, with the event set to commence on October 3. October 6 marks their planned meeting with Pakistan , as well as their long-standing opponents. Reaching the semi-finals in the previous edition, the Indian women's squad is in Group A with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Mithali spoke about India's possibilities in the competition in an interview with Star Sports. According to ANI: 

“I think I will definitely want the team to do well because, like everybody else, when we get into the World Cup, we want our team to win. The Indian women's team, so far, has not won, other than the Under-19 World Cup. The UAE is, again, in very similar conditions, so we can say that, you know, our team has the advantage. But again, the World Cup means every team comes well prepared.”

India still needs to earn a championship in the 50-over World Cup or the ICC T20 World Cup . Their best performance in the T20 occurred during the 2020 event, when they lost to Australia by 85 runs and emerged runner-up.

Mithali Raj's T20I career has seen her score 2,364 runs with an outstanding average of 37.52, including 17 fifties over 84 innings, and her best performance is 97 not out. She appeared in 24 matches during the T20 World Cups from 2009 to 2018, compiling 726 runs at an average over 40 with five fifties and a top score of 57.

Australia won its sixth T20 World Cup after defeating South Africa by 19 runs. India, nevertheless, advanced to the semifinal but lost by only five runs against Australia.

Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan

Travelling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor

Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra.