Problem of plenty gives Amol Muzumdar a good headache

United News of India

20 hours ago

London, July 13 (UNI) The India women's head coach Amol Muzumdar praised the squad's depth ahead of upcoming global events.
India head into the ODI series against England with confidence, having recently secured a 3-2 series win over them. This ODI series carries added significance as it serves as key preparation for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, which India will host later this year.
With several players delivering standout performances, competition for spots in the World Cup squad is heating up.
"So I think there's a lot of depth in this Indian line-up, a good headache to have as a coaching staff.' said Muzumdar.
One of the biggest selection calls before Muzumdar is picking Smriti Mandhana's opening partner. Pratika Rawal currently leads the race in the ODI format, having impressed since her debut against West Indies last December. In 11 ODIs, she boasts an outstanding average of 63.80 with five centuries to her name.
Meanwhile, Shafali Verma made a strong return to the T20I side during the England tour after being dropped following India's early exit from the T20 World Cup last October. She scored 176 runs at an average of 35.20 and an explosive strike rate of 158.55. Despite not being included in the ODI squad for the England series, Muzumdar stated that Shafali remained in the scheme of things for the ODI format as well.
"Pratika Rawal, she was drafted in the month of December, so it's almost six months, but she has left a big mark in her initial stage in her international career," he said.
'And Shafali has been a terrific player. There's no doubt about it that she will be in the mix. She will be amongst the core group of India. There's no doubt in my mind about it. But at the moment, Pratika has joined the squad probably four or five days prior to the ODI. The depth is stronger, it's getting stronger," Muzumdar said.
Another youngster to shine in the series was Shree Charani, who was named Player of the Series for the T20I leg after claiming 10 wickets. Muzumdar credited the WPL for unearthing such promising talent, an ICC report said.
"She's been a find of the WPL. From the WPL, we identified her and then I think her progress has been fantastic, she's been phenomenal in this series. We were searching for a left-arm spinner and she fitted the bill perfectly," he said.
While ODI World Cup might be the immediate concern, India also have their sights set on the next ICC Women's T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in England next year.
"We had that in our mind when we came back from Sri Lanka and we started our preparation for this tour. We were on the same page, all of us, including the selectors, thinking that there's a World Cup in 2026, same place, in England, so we've picked the squad accordingly.' said Muzumdar.
Muzumdar believed India's England outing this year will hold them in good stead for the T20 World Cup.
'We've started on a good note, I guess, winning the T20 series here against England 3-2, that too the first time ever. So it's a pleasing result. The preparation has already started,' he added.
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