WPL has played integral part in players' progress: Muzumdar after women's T20I series win
He also credited the competitive domestic season for the success.
India lost the fifth and final match on Saturday but they sealed the series 3-2 after securing a dominant six-wicket triumph in the fourth T20I at Manchester on Wednesday.
"WPL has been an integral part of the progress of the players. There's no doubt about it. But there are other tournaments as well in India which we really have a good look at it. There are so many domestic players playing.
"WPL is just a part of the initiative of the BCCI. So, I think it's been a happy hunting ground for us, the WPL. But at the same time, there are other tournaments which also take the importance," said Muzumdar during the post-match press conference after India lost the thrilling fifth T20I by five wickets on the last ball.
Debutant India left-arm spinner Shree Charani played a crucial role in the series victory, bagging 10 wickets, and Muzumdar, one of the most prolific run-getters at the domestic level during his playing days, said she had been "the find of the WPL."
Charani, 20, was adjudged the 'Player of the Series' for her phenomenal effort, though she went wicketless on Saturday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
IND vs ENG T20I series takeaways: Sree Charani, Shafali Verma impress; fielding perhaps biggest positive in India's historic win
India's first-ever women's T20I bilateral series win in England is a good enough achievement in isolation, but carries a bit more weight with less than one year to go for ICC Women's T20 World Cup in these conditions. Harmanpreet Kaur's side were dominant for large parts of the series, winning three matches rather comfortably, losing one after a run-chase that they controlled, and missing a chance to effect a Super Over in the fifth. It's so often been a source of criticism against the Indian team, that it's only fair to point out the improvements they have shown with their fielding. Often in the past, we have been used to the broadcasters panning to the coaching staff when the team has been guilty of misfields and dropped catches. But, not just throughout this five-match T20I series, India were pretty sharp in the recent Tri-Series in Sri Lanka as well. The odd dropped catches do still happen – as it did in the fifth T20I – but the athleticism and game awareness to cut down angles while approaching the ball with aggression have witnessed marked improvements. Leading this were Radha Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur – three gun fielders who have ben assigned hotspots. Radha's catch in the last over of the 5th T20I to dismiss Amy Jones is a contender for cricket's catch of the year, as she dived forward full length at deep midwicket to complete a stunner. 'One of the best catches I have seen, she has been phenomenal, puts in a lot of hard work behind the scenes with her fielding. Not many people know it. Radha is somebody we need to stop, sometimes,' head coach Amol Muzumdar said. Early in his tenure, Muzumdar had said that improving India's fielding and fitness was one of his priorities. While it has taken time, the results are starting to show. Fielding coach Munish Bali said the camps at BCCI's Center of Excellence before this England tour had a big focus on this aspect. 'All these kids, they really want to become a good fielding side. There is an attitude change. I am very happy with the commitment they show, not just in the match, but during our practice sessions,' Bali said in a press conference. But he repeated more than once that there is a still long way to go, and the dropped chances and a massive missed runout chance off the last ball by Smriti Mandhana in he fifth T20I were a reminder of that. 'In the camps, we did some specific work on high catching, ground fielding which involves cutting the angles. What that involves is having a good approach, you have to take a shorter route to stay towards the ball. We did lots of drills regarding that. How fast we can come to the ball. And for that, our players need to be good athletes,' Bali added. There is just one year separating N Sree Charani and Shafali Verma but the T20I series in England came at very different points in their careers. For the 20-year-old left-arm spinner, it's very early days, as she made her T20I debut. For Shafali on the other hand, it's a second chance of sorts, having been dealt the first big challenge of her career after getting dropped last year from both white-ball formats. And both youngsters impressed. With 10 wickets at an average of 14.80 over the five matches, Charani outbowled every other player in the series. India have been chopping and changing over the past year and a half across both white-ball formats to find a lead left-arm spinner, but if Charani keeps up this trajectory, she might just be India's first-choice for the World Cup. 'I guess, you know, from WPL we identified her and then I think her progress has been fantastic,' Muzumdar said, calling her a find of the WPL, where she featured for Delhi Capitals. 'She's been phenomenal in this series. We had a good look at her in the Tri-Series, where we played South Africa and Sri Lanka. So, I think she's been the find. We were searching for a left-arm spinner and she's fitted the bill perfectly.' In the batting department, Shafali's talent has never been in question, but her consistency was an issue. While she had a slow start to the series, she finished strong, ending up as the second-highest run-getter (176 runs at a strike rate of 158.55) behind Smriti Mandhana (221 runs). Her return to domestic cricket has already proven that she is perhaps too good for that level, but she still has to prove she can translate that to international cricket. And the return to form now makes for an interesting headache for the management, as Muzumdar conceded. Pratika Rawal has made a dream start to her ODI career and has struck a wonderful partnership with Mandhana. But Shafali could perhaps still find herself in the mix for the World Cup, even though she is not in the squad for ODIs that follow in England. Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assistant Editor and is based in New Delhi. ... Read More
News18
11 hours ago
- News18
Watch: Root, Jamie Smith, Stokes Clean Bowled; Sundar Rattles England Middle-Order
Washington Sundar's double blow—dismissing Joe Root and Jamie Smith—put India in control on Day 4 at Lord's, after England's brief fightback post-lunch. India have been ultra-aggressive with their bowling on the fourth day of the ongoing Lord's Test against England. Zak Crawley's time-wasting antics in the third day's final over seemed to have triggered the visitors as they look to restrict Ben Stokes & Co as soon as possible in the second innings. After the pacers troubled the English top-order in the first session on day four, Washington Sundar picked two crucial wickets in quick succession in the second to put India in a commanding position. Captain Ben Stokes and Joe Root looked strong after the lunch break, adding 67 runs for the 6 th wicket. However, Sundar had plans. The off-spinner deceived Joe Root on 40 before taking down England's explosive wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith for just 8 runs. rd over but exposed his leg stump. The ball drifted away and sneaked past his swinging bat to shatter the timber. Joe Root was starting to settle, and we all know what happens when he does…But #WashingtonSundar had other ideas.A sharp, crucial breakthrough to stop the danger man. #ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST, DAY 4 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 July 13, 2025 In the 47th over, Washington Sundar struck again, this time removing Jamie Smith, who had troubled India in the previous encounter. Bowling a flatter delivery, Sundar beat Smith's outside edge as the batter misread the line, and the ball crashed into the off-stump. Sundar's subtle drift continued to trouble the English batters, deepening their struggles in the second innings. Later in the final session, Sundar got the prized wicket of Ben Stokes, knocking him over with a length ball drifting in. The England captain looked to shift gears as he went down on his knee to slog sweep, but was beaten. The ball slid unde the bat and crashed into the stumps. Washington Sundar 🤝 Wickets 🤝 Timber StrikesEngland 7 down as Ben Stokes is OUT! Updates ▶️ #TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @Sundarwashi5 — BCCI (@BCCI) July 13, 2025 Earlier, India dominated the opening session of Day 4 at Lord's, conceding just 77 runs while picking up two key wickets. Mohammed Siraj led the charge, striking early to remove Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope with a fiery seven-over spell that yielded 2 for 11. Jasprit Bumrah kept things tight from the other end, unsettling Zak Crawley with awkward bounce. Nitish Reddy dismissed Crawley once again with a sharp catch at gully by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Harry Brook counterattacked briefly, but Akash Deep bowled him with a beauty, leaving England reeling at 98 for four by lunch. view comments First Published: July 13, 2025, 20:46 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
United News of India
12 hours ago
- United News of India
Problem of plenty gives Amol Muzumdar a good headache
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. UNI BM
