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Batsman to batters: MCC possess gender equality with immediate effect

On Wednesday, Marylebone Cricket Club Committee approved amendments to the laws of gender equality with immediate effect.

Sep 23, 2021, 6:21 AM2 min read

Marylebone Cricket Club Committee approved amendments to the laws of gender equality with immediate effect. On Wednesday, they announced that the gender-neutral term "batter" will be replacing "batsman" with immediate effect.

Batsman to batters: MCC possess gender equality with immediate effect | SportzPoint.com
Image Credit- ESPNcricinfo

Read also: 5 longest winning streaks in women's cricket

It is a great move towards gender equality in the world of cricket. This decision In replacing the term batsman will help in reinforcing cricket as an inclusive sport. Initially, the club's specialist Laws Sub-committee discussed this and later MCC Committee approved it.

MCC, the custodians of the game, said their views in a statement. "MCC believes that the use of gender-neutral terminology helps reinforce cricket's status as an inclusive game for all."

They further added, "The amendments are a natural evolution from work already undertaken in this area as well as an essential part of MCC's global responsibility to the sport."

Women's cricket is growing extraordinarily worldwide at all levels. And gender equality is a step towards encouraging the young girls and coming generations to play and enjoy the sport. Even before announcing the term "batter" officially, many governing bodies and media organizations are already using the term.

This is what MCC said on this decision:

MCC is the one behind this huge change and they also share their thoughts. "At the time of the last redraft in 2017 it was agreed, following consultation with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and key figures within women's cricket, that the terminology would remain as 'batsman' and 'batsmen' within the Laws of the game."

They also added, "The changes announced today reflect the wider usage of the terms 'batter' and 'batters' which has occurred in cricketing circles in the intervening period. The move to 'batter' is a natural progression, aligning with the terms of bowlers and fielders that already sit within the Laws."

Jamie Cox, the Assistant Secretary (Cricket and Operations) of MCC also shared her opinion. "MCC believes in cricket being a game for all and this move recognizes the changing landscape of the game in modern times. It is the right time for this adjustment to be recognized formally and we are delighted, as the Guardians of the Laws, to announce these changes today." 

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ENGWvsINDW: Deepti Sharma stars with bat for India to beat England in first WODI

Deepti Sharma scored an unbeaten 62 from 64 balls to help India win the first WODI of the ENGWvsINDW series by 4 wickets and with 10 balls remaining.

Jul 17, 2025, 12:07 AM4 min read

ENGWvsINDW: Deepti Sharma stars with bat for India to beat England in first WODI | sportzpoint.com

Deepti Sharma scored an unbeaten 62 from 64 balls in the first ENGWvsINDW ODI to help India chase 259 with ease in Southampton on Wednesday.

India chased down England's total with four wickets in hand. Along with Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues scored an important 48 off 54 for India.

What happened in the match?

India were coming from a historic maiden T20I series win on English soil and as a team looked confident, as the reharshal for the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 continues for them.

India struck early but lost the momentum

ENGWvsINDW: Kranti Goud struck early for India in the first WODI | sportzpoint.com
Kranti Goud struck twice for India in the first powerplay. Image | PA Photos/Getty Images

Nat Sciver-Brunt won the toss and decided to bat first. Her decision took a back seat when Kranti Goud dismissed Amy Jones (1) in her first and inning's second over. Soon, Tammy Beaumont (5) became Goud's second hunt in the fourth over of the match.

At 20/2, England needed a partnership, and Emma Lamb and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt provided that for them. A 71-run partnership for the third wicket bailed them out.

India did miss their chances as Smriti Mandhana dropped Nat Sciver-Brunt on 34, but soon England lost Emma Lamb on 39. Sneh Rana came to the rescue for India with the wicket.

ENGWvsINDW, 1st WODI: Jemimah Rodrigues took a sharp catch to dismiss England captain | sportzpoint.com
Jemimah Rodrigues took a sharp catch to dismiss England captain. Image | BCCI Women on X

Rana again struck for India in the next over as Jemimah Rodrigues took a sharp catch at short midwicket. The England captain went back to the dressing room on 41 from 52 balls.

Dunkley and Davidson-Richards add 106 for the fifth wicket

ENGWvsINDW, 1st WODI: Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson-Richards put on a 106-run stand | sportzpoint.com
Dunkley and Davidson-Richards added 106 for the fifth wicket. Image | ECB via Getty Images

When India were hoping to keep the hosts under 200, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson-Richards' 106-run partnership poured water on that plan.

Both Alice Davidson-Richards (on 16) and Sophia Dunkley (on 23) were dropped by Goud and Jemimah in consecutive overs to help England build that partnership.

Sophia Dunkley scored her sixth WODI fifty for England, ENGWvsINDW, 1st WODI - sportzpoint.com
Dunkley scored her sixth WODI fifty. Image | ECB via Getty Images

Dunkley went on to complete her 6th WODI fifty while Davidson-Richards scored her second WODI fifty. Davidson-Richards was finally outfoxed by Shree Charani on 53 from 73 as she looked to get going with the run rate.

Sophie Ecclestone gave Dunkley a good hand with an unbeaten 23 from 19 balls. Meantime, Dunkley (83 from 92) was bowled in the last ball of the inning as England scored a modest 258/6 in the first inning.

Read Also | Why can't Indian Women's Cricket team win any trophies? Here are the reasons and solutions to that

Strong start from India, but England struck back

ENGWvsINDW, 1st WODI: England celebrate the wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur | sportzpoint.com
England celebrating the wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur | Image - Getty Images

During the chase, India got off to a strong start with the bat, thanks to a solid opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal.

However, India lost Mandhana in the 8th over as Amy Jones took a good catch to dismiss her on 28 from 24 balls.

India lost Rawal (36 from 51) in the 19th over, but till then the run rate had reached close to run-a-ball. 

Soon, an inept run from Harleen Deol (27 from 44) put India under more pressure. A casual run out and India her in the 22nd over. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (17 from 27 balls) also returned to the dressing room after Charlie Dean trapped her in front of the wicket.

Deepti and Jemimah add 90 for the fifth wicket for India

ENGWvsINDW, 1WODI: Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues add 90 for the fifth wicket for India | sportzpoint.com
Deepti and Jemimah added 90 for the fifth wicket for India. Image | BCCI Women on X

But, a 90-run partnership for the fifth wicket bailed India out of the danger. 

Jemimah played a solid inning of 48 from 54 balls before perishing against Lauren Filer in the 42nd over. With India needing 45 from 51 balls, Deepti remained calm under pressure to take India over the line.

ENGWvsINDW: Deepti Sharma stars with bat for India to beat England in first WODI | sportzpoint.com
Deepti Sharma scored her 14th WODI fifty. Image | BCCI Women on X

Amanjot Kaur again proved her all-around skill with an unbeaten 20 from 14 balls. 

Kaur hit back-to-back boundaries to seal the match, while Deepti watched from the other end on 62 from 64 balls. 

Deepti Sharma was named player of the match for her excellent inning. India now lead the three-match series 1-0. Not to forget India won the WODI series 3-0 last time on English soil. The second ENGWvsINDW WODI will be played at Lord's on 19th July 2025.

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ENG-W vs IND-W: Women in Blue register their first-ever T20I series win in England

Indian Women's Cricket team created history by winning their first-ever T20I series in England. They are currently leading the ENG-W vs IND-W T20I series by 3-1

Jul 9, 2025, 11:30 PM3 min read

ENG-W vs IND-W: Women in Blue register their first-ever T20I series win in England | sportzpoint.com
Jemimah Rodrigues hit the winning run for India. Image | BCCI on X

The Indian Women's Cricket team registered their first-ever T20I series win on English soil, after taking an insurmountable lead of 3-1 in the five-match series. In the fourth match of the series, the Women in Blue defeated England by 6 wickets with 18 balls to go to seal the series in Manchester.

Indian spinners set up the game for them. Tammy Beaumont's decision to bat first was struck by the Indian spin trio of Shree Charani, Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav. England could only reach 126/7 in the first inning, which India chased down easily. 

What happened in the match? 

ENG-W vs IND-W: Women in Blue register their first-ever T20I series win in England - Radha Yadav celebrating a wicket | sportzpoint.com
Radha Yadav celebrating a wicket. Image | BCCI on X

India were chasing history after winning the first two games of the series. But England, one of the strongest teams in the world, looked in form after winning the last game. 

However, Indian bowlers struck early, and Harmanpreet Kaur's plan to keep rotating the bowlers worked very well. Amanjot Kaur, Shree Charani, Deepti Sharma, and Arundhati Reddy all bowled one over each in the first four overs. 

Shree was able to get the wicket of Danni Wyatt-Hodge (5) in the third over, while Sophia Dunkley (22) was dismissed by Deepti in the final over of the powerplay. 

After the first two wickets, Tammy Beaumont and Alice Capsey tried to build a partnership for England. But once Radha Yadav got rid of the English captain in the 11th over, it was all about India after that. 

ENG-W vs IND-W T20I Series: Richa Ghosh's athleticism dismissed Charlie Dean in Manchester | sportzpoint.com
Richa Ghosh's athleticism dismissed Amy Jones. Image | Getty Images

Sophie Ecclestone, at the end, added a quick 16 from 10 balls to take England to 126/7 in the first inning. Radha Yadav with 4-15-2 was the pick of the bowlers for India. Shree Charani also picked up two wickets for 30 for the Indian team.

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma stitched a 56-run opening partnership for India, ENG-W vs IND-W, 4th T20I, Manchester | sportzpoint.com
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma stitched a 56-run opening partnership for India. Image | BCCI on X

During the chase, Shafali Varma gave India a flying start with her 31 from 19 balls. Although Smriti Mandhana (32) was dismissed soon after that, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur (26), along with Jemimah Rodrigues, built a 48-run partnership to take India close to the total. 

Eventually India won the match by 6 wickets with 18 balls remaining as Jemimah (24*) hit the winning runs for them. 

Radha Yadav was named the player of the match. 

Why is the ENG-W vs IND-W series win important?

Why is the ENG-W vs IND-W T20I series win important for India? | sportzpoint.com
Image | Getty Images

The ENG-1 vs IND-W series was a stage rehearsal for the Indian Women's Cricket team as they will look to win their first-ever T20I World Cup next year in England.

So, the memories of winning their maiden T20 series here would definitely give them confidence when they come back to England next year. 

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Mita Paul’s all-round performance helps Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers clinch Bengal Women's Pro T20 League for the successive seasons

Mita Paul's brilliant all-round performance helped Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers clinch the Bengal Women's Pro T20 League for the second time in a row, beating the Sobisco Smashers Malda.

Jun 28, 2025, 4:15 PM2 min read

Mita Paul’s all-round performance helps Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers clinch Bengal Women's Pro T20 League for the successive seasons - sportzpoint.com
Image | CAB on Facebook

In a sensational display of all-round brilliance, Mita Paul powered Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers to a stunning 16-run win (DLS method) over Sobisco Smashers Malda in a rain-affected Bengal Women's Pro T20 League 2025 final match held at the iconic Eden Gardens.

Mita Paul’s all-round performance helps Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers clinch Bengal Women's Pro T20 League for the successive seasons
Mita Paul going for a big shot. Image | CAB on Facebook

Named Player of the Match, Mita Paul’s performance was nothing short of legendary, blazing an innings of 51 runs off just 52 balls and then slicing through the opposition with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for just 12 runs in a miserly spell of 3 overs. Her heroics not only anchored her team’s innings but also dismantled the Malda batting line-up when it mattered most.

Read Also | Women's Cricket Exclusive: Mita Paul wants to take her game to a new level with a more attacking game plan

Batting first, Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers were bowled out for 104 in 19.5 overs. Apart from Mita’s knock, Parna Paul chipped in with a useful 14. For the Sobisco Smashers, Jeni Parveen was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 8, but her efforts fell short in the face of Mita’s dominance.

Mita Paul’s all-round performance helps Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers clinch Bengal Women's Pro T20 League for the successive seasons
Image | CAB on Facebook

In reply, Sobisco Smashers Malda collapsed to 22 for 4 in just 5.2 overs, failing to cope with the twin spin threats of Mita Paul and Prativa Mandi (2-0-10-2). None of the Malda batters could reach double digits, underlining the complete dominance of the Tigers’ bowling unit.

Read Also | Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive: Two out of two finals, record chase against Haryana, Jhulan Goswami, WPL and more

This electrifying win cements Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers’ reputation as fierce competitors and showcases Mita Paul as a true match-winner, rising to the occasion when it mattered most.

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Young guns at the top, perfect lengths, experience in the middle: Pune Warriors set a T20 blueprint at Women's Maharashtra Premier League

Without many superstars in the team, Pune Warriors won 7 out of 7 games to win the Women's Maharashtra Premier League 2025. Gaanesh Tyagi, the analyst of the team, shared the blueprint of the win with Sportz Point.

Jun 18, 2025, 2:48 PM6 min read

Young guns at the top, perfect lengths, experience in the middle: Pune Warriors set a T20 blueprint at Women's Maharashtra Premier League - sportzpoint.com

Seven out of seven wins. Invincible Pune Warriors defeated all the odds to come out victorious in the Women's Maharashtra Premier League 2025. 

While other franchises had big names, such as Smriti Mandhana, Tejal Hasabnis, and Kiran Navgire, among many other stars of the women's game, Pune Warriors had a clear plan and strategy. 

With only prominent names in Anuja Patil and Shweta Mane, the Pune Warriors Women's team depended on clear thoughts, executions and camaraderie to win the league. Team analyst Gaanesh Tyagi shared all the secrets in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.

Gaanesh is a high performance analyst from Mumbai, who has worked for more than 10 T20 franchise teams. He was also the analyst of the Mumbai Cricket team, which won their first ever Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in 2023.

The team combination: All-rounders, effectiveness and youth

Young guns at the top, perfect lengths, experience in the middle: Pune Warriors set a T20 blueprint at Women's Maharashtra Premier League - sportzpoint.com

Even before stepping onto the field to win the tournament, teams must first succeed in a different battle during the draft or auction. This is where many teams secure half of their victory. Women’s cricket has different demands than men’s cricket, and in T20 cricket, the need for strong all-rounders reaches its peak. 

With captain Anuja Patil being the perfect all-rounder for the team, the coaching staff opted for additional all-rounders to effectively manage the middle overs. 

"The entire coaching staff and captain Anuja Patil were involved in building the team. We aimed to have more all-rounders while also featuring skilled individuals for every situation in the game,” Gaanesh explained to Sportz Point. 

Read Also: In a first, 10 UAE batters retire out in ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025

The roadmap and planning

During their initial meeting with the players, captain Anuja and the coaching staff discussed a comprehensive plan for winning the tournament. This provided every player with a clear roadmap and clarity on how they needed to prepare for each aspect of the game.

"In that first meeting, we talked about how we should be winning the tournament. Each player knew their role within the team, which helped provide a clear roadmap for everyone,” Gaanesh added.

Read Also: Exclusive: Bowls like Malinga, once doubted by her family, Nadia's Sonali Das is set for Bengal Pro T20 League dreams after 8-wicket haul in School Cricket

"Bowlers win you tournaments"

This phrase has become quite popular in world cricket. Even in the Indian Premier League, the team with the superior bowling combination often performs better. Analysts play a crucial role here by offering insights on optimal lengths, lines, speeds, and determining who should bowl at various stages of the game.

For Pune Warriors, prior to each match, analysts would provide each bowler with a specific plan to tackle all potential batters they might face.

"In women’s cricket, understanding lengths is crucial. Knowing what length to bowl against which batter is key. We had strategies for each opponent.

"So, it was all about execution on the field, which our bowlers accomplished successfully. That’s why we had two bowlers, Chinmayee Bhorpale (the Purple Cap winner) and Anuja Patil, in the top five highest wicket-takers list," Gaanesh stated. 

Anuja Patil- the Boss Lady

Anuja Patil- the Boss Lady - Women's Maharashtra Premier League 2025 exclusive - sportzpoint.com
Image - WMPL on X.

When you have a young and relatively inexperienced team, it’s essential to have someone who can guide each player. Just as the Rajasthan Royals had Shane Warne, Pune Warriors had Anuja Patil. 

Anuja, who has played 50 T20Is for the Indian national team, possesses the knowledge necessary to win cricket matches. With her leadership, every young player learned how to approach each match to achieve victory.

"We affectionately called her the 'Boss Lady.'

The entire team respected and followed her decisions. In tournaments like this, a clear direction is crucial, and Anuja provided the guidance we needed with her experience."

Read Also: Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive: Two out of two finals, record chase against Haryana, Jhulan Goswami, WPL and more

The Mix of Youth and Experience

Balancing the mix of youth and experience in team building can be challenging. Some players on the squad were born after Anuja and Shweta Mane began their cricket careers.

There was a noticeable gap in age and experience, so the team needed to blend these elements effectively to perform at their best.

Both Anuja and Mane acted as both friends and firm mentors, fostering a harmonious environment that brought out the best in young players like 17-year-old Akshaya Jadhav, 16-year-old Suhani Kahandal, and U-23 player Khushi Mulla, who ended up being the fourth-highest run-scorer of the tournament.

"Youth at the top and experince in the middle"

Although the powerplay and death overs seem to be entertaining, it is the middle overs that decide the winner in a T20 game. Be it with the bat or ball, the 7-15 overs of a T20I game are the most crucial overs.

That is why Pune Warriors had the plan of having the most experienced players playing the middle order, be it with the bat or ball. 

That even allowed youngsters like Khushi Mulla, Suhani Kahandal and Akshaya Jadhav to have the freedom to enjoy the game. 

"The middle overs control the outcome of the game. We even saw Smriti Mandhana batting in the middle order for Ratnagiri Jets. So, from the start of the tournament, we wanted to have experince in the middle overs and youth at the top," Gaanesh explained. 

"Discipline, calmness and execution"

Winning all seven of your games is a significant challenge, and in T20 cricket, it’s nearly impossible to maintain that momentum throughout.

However, according to Gaanesh, if the team maintains discipline, calmness, and focuses on execution, the chances of not losing become greater.

He recounted the last over of the final match against Solapur Smashers: “We needed to defend 9 from 6 and it became 4 from 4. But we kept calm under pressure and executed well to win the title.”

What's next?

Whenever a team without many superstars win any tournament, there comes a question of whether they will be able to continue that in the next season. We have seen it with the Rajasthan Royals in the past as well.

Since winning the inaugural season, they have not been able to win any trophies. What's the secret sauce to keep winning? 

"Process," Gaanesh said. 

He feels all the youngsters who got a bit of fame and name from this season need to aim for bigger goals and achievements. This is how they will be able to keep them ready for next season. Most importantly, they need to focus on the process which has given them results.

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ICC ODI Rankings: Smriti Mandhana reclaims world No. 1 spot for the first time in six years

Indian star opener Smriti Mandhana has returned to the world no. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings for the first time in six years.

Jun 17, 2025, 10:32 AM2 min read

ICC ODI Rankings: Smriti Mandhana reclaims world No. 1 spot for the first time in six years

Indian star opener Smriti Mandhana has regained the number one spot in the women's ICC ODI rankings for the first time since November 2019, according to the latest update released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday.

Also Read: ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 Full Schedule announced; India to face Pakistan on October 5

Mandhana surpassed Wolvaardt to claim top spot

The 28-year-old Mandhana has moved up one place to return to the top spot while South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has slipped to joint second place with new England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt after scoring 27 and 28 in the first two ODIs against the West Indies.

Mandhana now sits comfortably with 727 rating points after Wolvaardt held the top spot for over six months. The Indian star batsman has been in great form lately and scored the 11th century of her career, amassing 264 runs across five outings with a 52.80 averae and a strike rate of 90.41 during India's recent tri-series final against Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo.

Mandhana named ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year

The India vice-captain had a stellar run in ODIs in 2024, following which she was named as the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, scoring more runs than she ever has before in a calendar year, racking up 747 runs in 13 innings. Mandhana is one of only four women to record at least 10 centuries, with her 4473 runs standing 10th on the all-time charts.

Mandhana’s rating points currently eight ahead of newly-appointed England skipper Natalie Sciver-Brunt at 719 points. Wolvaardt dropped to equal second alongside Sciver-Brunt, while fellow South African’s Tazmin Brits (up five spots to 27th) and Sune Luus (up seven places to 42nd) are among the big movers this week on the list for ODI batters.

Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, being the only other Indian batters in the top 30, placed at 15th and 16th, respectively.

Women's ICC ODI Rankings

Rank Team Players Rating
1 India Smriti
Mandhana
727
2 England Nat Sciver-Brunt 719
2 South Africa Laura Wolvaardt 719
4 England Amy Jones 689
5 Australia Ellyse Perry 684
6 West Indies Hayley Matthews 682
7 Australia Alyssa Healy 679
8 Sri Lanka Chamari Athapaththu 655
8 Australia Beth Mooney 655
10 Australia Ashleigh Gardner 650

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