Calls for WIPL get louder
As always, every time the Indian team loses a knockout game that they should have won, WIPL starts trending on social media.
The major reason cited behind Indian players constantly losing their nerves at the crunch moments is the paucity of them playing high-pressure games with and against quality players day-in-day-out, something that a T20 league will provide in ample.
In my opinion, there is absolutely no doubt that the Women's IPL should see the light of the day as soon as possible.
However, its absence isn't the sole reason why Indian players are faltering when it matters the most.
The rot in Indian women's cricket runs deep, and everyone, from the BCCI to the national selection committee to the head coach Ramesh Powar, and individual players need to take their fair share of blame.
Why the BCCI? For not preparing a proper roadmap for the team when they were on a high two years ago. Yes, one can say that Covid complicated things magnanimously but nothing explains the fact that the women's team did not play a single ODI series during the home season last year, given the fact that the World Cup was right around the corner.
Even the preparations for CWG were lackluster. India just played three games against a poor Sri Lankan side in Asian conditions.
But, let's not pinpoint all the blame on the BCCI
Let's talk about the Neetu David-led selection committee. The squad was announced via a press-release, and till date, no explanations have been offered behind the selection of certain players.
Why was Taniya Bhatiya picked over Richa Ghosh when the latter is a proven power-hitter, something that this team painfully lacks?
Why is Sikha Pandey constantly overlooked? Why has Poonam Yadav fallen out of favor?
There are many questions but sadly, the answers don't exist. Even if they do, they are like John Cena- you can't see them.
Now, let's talk about the head coach, Ramesh Powar.
This is Powar's 2nd stint, and it is fair to say that it has been quite underwhelming. Some of the tactics that he and captain Harmanpreet Kaur employed, like for example, sending Taniya Bhatia at 5 during the league stage, and promoting Deepti Sharma, who has a strike-rate of less than 100 runs, over Pooja Vastrakar in the semi-final against England, devoid cricketing logic.
What about the individual players?
But, it will be intellectually dishonest on everyone's part to absolve the individual players and pin all the blame on the management.
Because, after all, no management or coach can teach a player to run properly between wickets or take catches. In the past 5 years, since that fateful day at Lord's, the Indians have made basic schoolgirl errors on repeat mode, which, given their talent, is quite unacceptable.
And, it is quite disappointing that despite so many of these cricketers featuring in T20 leagues like WBBL, the basics still haven't improved.
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Dejected Indian players at the CWG 2022 medal ceremony
 "Yash Mittal")
