India favourites for Women's T20 World Cup, says Anjum Chopra

Indian Women`s Team (Pic: PTI)

The English playing environment is no longer unfamiliar territory for the Indian women's cricket team, who should be considered top contenders for the upcoming T20 World Cup, according to former skipper Anjum Chopra. The 'Women in Blue' are scheduled to kick off their World Cup campaign with a high-stakes clash against rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on June 14.

"English conditions are not alien. A few of them or most of them have already played there, at least the core of this Indian team. For Nandini (Sharma), yes, she is playing there. But in a very small career of Shree Charani, this is her second tour to England in less than 12 months," Chopra told PTI in an exclusive interaction.
"For me, India will always remain one of the favourite sides. Obviously, I want them there. Not only in the top four. I want them in the top two and then the top team," she added.

A major boost for the team ahead of the global tournament is the return of wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, who recently recovered from a long injury absence. The left-handed batter made a striking impact upon her return, anchoring the side with a quickfire 54 off 40 balls in the T20I opener against England.

With Yastika presenting a strong case to occupy the crucial number three position and Jemimah Rodrigues potentially shifting further down the order, Chopra suggested that the team management should remain adaptable with their strategy.

"It's very good that she (Yastika) is scoring runs, and she scored in the first T20. Though she missed out on a long innings in the second. But what it also does is that it's not about just balancing out Jemmy, Harman, and Yastika. I think the Indian team will probably need to be a little more open about flexibility in the batting order," she added.

Team India is in the 'group of death' at the T20 World Cup

India faces a difficult path in the tournament after being placed in Group 1 alongside Australia and South Africa, as well as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. With only the top two sides from the pool earning a semi-final berth, the competition will be fierce.

"Even Pakistan has been playing some very good cricket. And India does not know how Netherlands would come out. They've also made it to the World Cup. And why should we just forget the fact that there is an Australian team and a South African team in the same pool. So only two teams can qualify for the semi-finals from that pool. So, it's not going to be very easy." Chopra concluded.

(With PTI inputs)