Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 20 (ANI): Former Indian cricket captain Mithali Raj has expressed strong optimism regarding the Indian women’s team’s prospects in the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup, emphasizing that the conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will likely be favorable for the team.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is slated to commence on October 3 in the UAE. The Indian squad will launch their campaign with a match against New Zealand on October 4, followed by a highly anticipated clash with arch-rivals Pakistan on October 6. The Women in Blue, who reached the semi-finals in the previous edition of the tournament, are placed in Group A, which also includes formidable teams like Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

In a conversation on Star Sports, Mithali Raj elaborated on India’s chances, stating, “I am eager for the team to perform exceptionally well. Every World Cup brings renewed hope for a victory. The Indian women’s team has yet to clinch a T20 World Cup title, apart from their Under-19 World Cup win. The UAE conditions resemble those in India, providing our team with a strategic edge. However, it’s crucial to remember that every team comes meticulously prepared for a World Cup.”

India has yet to secure a win in either the ICC T20 World Cup or the 50-over World Cup. Their closest attempt was in the 2020 T20 World Cup, where they finished as runners-up after losing to Australia by 85 runs.

Mithali Raj herself boasts an impressive T20I career. Over 89 matches, she amassed 2,364 runs at an average of 37.52, including 17 half-centuries and a top score of 97*. In her T20 World Cup career spanning from 2009 to 2018, she played 24 matches and scored 726 runs at an average exceeding 40, with five half-centuries and a highest score of 57.

In last year’s T20 World Cup, Australia continued their dominance by defeating South Africa by 19 runs to win their sixth title. The Indian team had a commendable run but fell short in the semi-finals against Australia by a narrow margin of five runs.

The Indian squad for the upcoming tournament includes: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, and Sajana Sajeevan.

Travelling reserves include Uma Chetry (wicketkeeper), Tanuja Kanwer, and Saima Thakor. Non-travelling reserves are Raghvi Bist and Priya Mishra.

This roster reflects a blend of experienced players and promising young talent, poised to leverage their skills and teamwork in pursuit of their first T20 World Cup title.