'When I first entered the team, Mithali di (Mithali Raj) and Jhulan di (Jhulan Goswami) were our seniors, and to now see the transition with Harman di and Smriti leading together is really special. They've created an environment where everyone wants to give their all for the team.'
India's Harleen Deol and Jemimah Rodrigues made substantial gains in the ICC women's player rankings for batters released on Tuesday.
Shafali Verma smashed 176 runs at a strike rate of 158.56 during the T20I series against England to jump four spots to ninth place with 655 points.
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana defended her team's ultra-defensive batting approach in a chase of 106 runs against Pakistan.
Star batter Jemimah Rodrigues was on Thursday dropped from the 15-member Indian women's squad for the ICC ODI World Cup to be held in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3.
DC players, including Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey, displayed true sportsmanship by offering words of comfort to the heartbroken RCB duo of Richa Ghosh and Shreyanka Patil.
India women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, her deputy Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma were retained in Grade A, the highest category of central contracts offered by BCCI.
Teenager Jemimah Rodrigues struck an unbeaten 77 to help Supernovas beat Velocity by 12 runs and enter the final of the Women's T20 Challenge.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be determined to give their home fans a parting victory when they take on a fatigued Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru on Saturday, before the Women's Premier League moves to Lucknow for its third leg.
The next two Indian batters in the list after Mandhana are Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who are placed 14th and 15th respectively.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who hit a match-winning 38-ball unbeaten 53 in a seven-wicket win in India's Women's T20 World Cup opener in Cape Town on Sunday, said at one point of time she even contemplated quitting the game.
He said one of the things the team lacked last season or in the last cycle was some explosiveness at the bottom order.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was at a loss for words after her team stormed into the Women's ODI World Cup final but she did make a point to say that the players have already set their sights on the summit clash and are determined to "give their best" against first-timers South Africa.
India, having secured two convincing victories, will be looking to complete a clean sweep of the women's ODI series against Ireland in the third and final match. The Indian team is brimming with confidence after a series of impressive batting performances, particularly from Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, who have formed a formidable opening partnership. Despite their strong batting, India's bowling has shown some vulnerabilities, allowing Ireland to score a respectable 254/7 in the previous match. The absence of key players like Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur has given opportunities for emerging players to shine. The series has highlighted the impressive performance of Pratika Rawal, who has made the most of her chances. The Irish team has been led by the strong performances of Gaby Lewis, Christina Coulter-Reilly, and Leah Paul, but their fielding has been a concern. The match is scheduled to begin at 11 am in Rajkot.
Rodrigues's 132 runs in the three-match series against New Zealand have lifted her to second position
The first three matches were low-scoring affairs, but the fourth T20I was a run-fest, with both India and Sri Lanka registering their highest-ever totals in the format.
South Africa bounced back to defeat India by 12 runs in the first women's T20I to secure their first win of the multi-format tour
India, who have never won the ODI World Cup in any of its previous 12 editions, will co-host the eight-team tournament with Sri Lanka with all eyes on Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. to end the long wait for a title.
Jemimah Rodrigues on Tuesday urged the India women's cricket team to take a leaf out of Australia's book and bounce back in the upcoming T20s after being hammered in the ODIs.
India won their maiden Women's World Cup title with a 52-run victory over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
Images of the Women's T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan played in Cape Town on Sunday
Rodrigues, Kaur, Mandhana and Sharma were also a part of the now-defunct Kia Super League (KSL) in 2019, the ECB's domestic T20 tournament that made way for the Women's Hundred.
Harmanpreet-led India scripted history on Sunday, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final to secure their maiden ICC Women's World Cup title.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy bemoaned some loose bowling from her team after the seven-time champions exited the Women's World Cup in a shock semi-final loss to India on Thursday.
Skipper Alyssa Healy led from the front with a masterful 142 as Australia pulled off a record chase of 331 to beat India by three wickets in their Women's World Cup group match on Sunday.
'I think when it comes to Australia, you got to be the best or you can't play. That's the kind of team they are. My favourite team to play against is also Australia. It's more of a mind game than just skills (when you play against them)'
Virat Kohli, who has been in great form at the T20 World Cup, along with India women star players Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma were nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for October.
Delhi Capitals dished out an all-round effort to comfortably beat former champions Mumbai Indians by nine wickets
India Women succumbed to their sixth consecutive defeat and eighth in a row at home
Delhi Capitals produced a splendid bowling effort before their batters, led by Niki Prasad, survived some anxious moments to register a narrow two-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in a last-ball thriller in the Women's Premier League
Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Jemimah hold key to India's T20 World Cup campaign
Deepti has been inside the top 10 rankings for T20I bowlers for the majority of the last six years, but the 27-year-old has never held the top position "despite the fact she has maintained great consistency in recent times."
Former England captain Nasser Hussain on Friday said Harmanpreet Kaur boasts of a fantastic World Cup record and it's time the Indian women's team skipper delivered like her Australian counterpart Alyssa Healy.
India vice-captain Mandhana to skip WBBL for second year in row
The Indian women's cricket team will look to end a 47-year wait for its maiden ICC title when it takes the field at the ODI World Cup starting with a clash against Sri Lanka.
Deepti Sharma created a new record in women's cricket, while Shafali Verma smashed a blistering half-century as India thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to seal the five-match T20I series 3-0.
'Her outstanding performance in the World Cup has definitely added to her brand value significantly. The high WPL bids validate it more.'
Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning and Harmanpreet Kaur were some of the big names retained by their respective franchises for the next edition of the Women's Premier League.
Harmanpreet, Shafali move up to tied 11th, Mandhana maintains 5th position
Stylish opener Smriti Mandhana inched closer to reclaiming the world number one spot in the ICC Women's ODI batting rankings
