The Indian women made the country proud by making it all the way to the Women’s World Cup Final and losing by just 9 runs. They showed that they too, can be amongst the best and this bought a lot of attention to the issue of women’s cricket.
India has seen both their teams feature in losing finals of major tournaments in the past one month and a half. India’s men’s squad finished as runners up in the Champions Trophy while the women fell to the English as mentioned. They did perform excellently to make a mark and we take a look at the best XI comprising both these squads:
Shikhar Dhawan:
The left-hander has been in sublime touch off late, even scoring a century in the Test against Sri Lanka. He has been consistent in the ODI squad as well and blasted the most runs in the Champions Trophy. He is easily India’s best opener at the moment and takes the first slot.
Punam Raut:
Punam Raut showed her class in the World Cup and hit the most runs too in the final. She missed out on a century there but proved herself in the toughest of conditions. Her 86 was a testimony to the excellence she displayed throughout.
She made many big scores in the tournament and helped India when her partner failed.
Virat Kohli:
An obvious choice, Kohli has gone from strength to strength when it comes to limited overs batting and is easily the best batsman in his position. He is also showing signs of being a good captain and his strike rate of 98.85 speaks volumes.
Mithali Raj:
The captain of the women’s team would also be an excellent leader for this team. She has been a stalwart of the game for years and has seen it all. She finished as the second highest run getter with 419 runs and is an admirable tactician.
Harmanpreet Kaur:
Playing an innings that is now immortalised in time, Kaur is one of the most coveted big hitters in the women’s edition of the game. She can be an absolute destroyer on her day and it would be a treat if she played together with MS Dhoni.
MS Dhoni:
The greatest captain India has ever seen, Dhoni now plays as a keeper-batsman having relinquished his successful role as the leader of the national squad. He is still a good batsman and though his power hitting ability may have diminished, he is still the best keeper around.
Deepti Sharma:
She spun a web many a times around the opposition batsmen throughout the tournament and also played a few useful innings. She also holds the score for the highest ODI score by an Indian with 188 against Ireland.
Ravindra Jadeja:
Thogugh he did not have the greatest finals, Jadeja is an all-round asset to any team he plays. A good bowler, he has the attributes to become even better. He is arguably, the best fielder active in international cricket right now and this could prove crucial.
Jhulan Goswami:
The experienced Indian pacer exudes class and power at the same time. She is one of the best in the game and is the leading ODI wicket taker in women’s cricket. She could walk into any international women’s team.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar:
Bhuvneshwar has really proven his mettle over the past two years and transformed himself into one of the best bowlers in the game. His death bowling and consistent line make him an easy pick in this XI.
Jasprit Bumrah:
The relatively young Indian pacer has made himself a household name thanks to the beautiful Yorkers he can pull out. Still only 22, Bumrah has a bright future ahead and once he works on a few more aspects, can be a world-beater.
