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Most wickets in Women's ODI

Jhulan Goswami has the most wickets in ODI currently. Let's take a look at the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in this format.

Mar 16, 2022, 8:07 AM2 min read

Most wickets in Women's ODI

Jhulan Goswami is breaking one after one records in the ongoing women's ODI World Cup. He became the first-ever women's cricketer to scalp 250 wickets in the ODI format. Without a doubt, she has the most wickets in women's ODI. Let's take a look at the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in this format.

Jhulan Goswami

Jhulan Goswami: Most wickets in Women's ODI| SportzPoint.com
Image Credit- ESPNcricinfo

Read also: Harmanpreet Kaur becomes the second leading run-scorer for India in Women's ODI history

Jhulan Goswami is now the only women's bowler to scalp not only 200+ wickets but also 250 wickets. The veteran Indian pacer achieved this milestone after dismissing England opener Tammy Beaumont in the ongoing women's World Cup. Since 2002, Goswami bowled in 199 matches and took 250 wickets with the BBI of 6/31. In fact, she is the seventh Indian bowler (including men's and women's) to reach the milestone of 250 wickets in ODI. Jhulan is one of the most notable players in women's cricket and she is working hard to fulfill her dream of lifting the ODI World Cup trophy.

Cathryn Fitzpatrick

Cathryn Fitzpatrick: Most wickets in Women's ODI| SportzPoint.com
Image Credit- Getty Images

Cathryn Fitzpatrick of Australia sits in the second position on this prestigious list with 180 wickets in 180 ODI matches. She started playing in this format in 1999 and continued till 2007. Also, she has the BBI of 5/14.

Anisa Mohammed

Anisa Mohammed: Most wickets in Women's ODI| SportzPoint.com
Image Credit- Getty Images

Read also: "If Indian spinners can bowl well, England will definitely struggle:" Former Indian Cricketer Gargi Banerjee

Anisa Mohammed of West Indies took the same number of wickets as Cathryn Fitzpatrick but in 139 ODI matches. She holds the BBI of 7/14 in ODI format. Most expectedly she will surpass the former Australian cricketer in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup.

Shabnim Ismail

Shabnim Ismail: Most wickets in Women's ODI| SportzPoint.com
Image Credit- The Cricket Monthly

With 168 wickets, Shabnim Ismail is sitting in the fourth position on this list. The South African bowler has the BBI of 6/10 in this format. She started playing ODI in 2007 and played 117 matches till now.

Katherine Brunt

Katherine Brunt: Most wickets in Women's ODI| SportzPoint.com
Image Credit- Getty Images

Read also: Highest partnership by Indians in Women's Cricket World Cup

Katherine Brunt took the fifth-most wickets in women's ODI. The England cricketer played in 135 ODI matches from 2005 to now. During these years, Katherine scalped a total of 164 wickets with the BBI of 5/18.

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Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Report: Mumbai make it 5-0 over Giants, powered by Nat Sciver-Brunt's all-round performance

Mumbai Indians extended their winning streak over Gujarat Giants to 5-0 after beating them by six wickets in their second clash in WPL 2025, powered by Nat Sciver-Brunt's all-round performance.

Feb 18, 2025, 5:53 PM4 min read

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Report: Mumbai make it 5-0 over Giants, powered by Nat Sciver-Brunt's all-round performance | sportzpoint.com

Mumbai Indians extended their winning streak to 5-0 against Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League as they defeated them by six wickets on Tuesday in Vadodara. The WPL 2023 champions chased down Gujarat’s 121-run target with 5 wickets in hands and 23 balls to go in the match. 

MI made two changes in the playing XI

Parunika Sisodia receives her MI cap from Devika Palshikar, Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians, WPL 2025, February 18, 2025
Parunika Sisodia receives her MI cap from Devika Palshikar. Image | WPL

Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and handed debut caps to two young India U-19 champions G Kamalini and Parunika Sisodia before electing to bowl first. Both Kamalini and Sisodia were part of the India team which won the U-19 Women’s World Cup earlier this year. Kamalini and Sisodia replaced Jintimani Kalita and Saika Ishaque in the playing XI for them. 

Meantime, Gujarat Giants had an unchanged XI from their win against UP Warriorz on Sunday. 

Great start for MI bowlers

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Report: Mumbai make it 5-0 over Giants, powered by Nat Sciver-Brunt's all-round performance | sportzpoint.com
Nat Sciver-Brunt struck early with the ball. Image | WPL

Nat Sciver-Brunt struck early for Mumbai, dismissing Beth Mooney for 1 in the second over. In the next over Shabnim Ismail struck to dismiss Laura Wolvaardt for 4. Hayley Matthews then finished Gujarat’s top three by dismissing Dayalan Hemalatha on 9 in the next over.

At 16/3, Gujarat’s only hope was their captain Ashleigh Gardner who had struck back-to-back fifties in the first two games. But in the last over of the power play, Nat Sciver-Brunt got the big fish of Gardner on 10 and all Giants were in deep trouble. 

Hayley Matthews starred with three wickets, Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians, WPL 2025, February 18, 2025
Hayley Matthews starred with three wickets. Image | WPL

Harleen Deol (32 off 31) tried her best to assess the situation and take the inning as deep as she could. But, the Indian batter kept losing partners from the other end. Kashvee Gautam was the other batter who reached the 20-run mark but could only add that many runs on the board. 

Hayley Matthews finished with three wickets for 16 while Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr took two wickets each to bundle out Giants for 120 in the first inning.

Read Also | 10 Best Women's Football Players and Leagues You Must Watch in 2025

Shaky start to MI's chase

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Report: Kashvee Gautam took the big wickets of Harmanpreet Kaur and Amelia Kerr, Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians, WPL 2025, February 18, 2025 | sportzpoint.com
Kashvee Gautam dismissed Harmanpreet Kaur. Image | WPL

During the chase Giants got rid of Hayley Matthews (17 off 19) in the fourth over through Tanuja Kanwar to start a possible comeback. Yastika Bhatia also could only add 8 for Mumbai. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur also got out in the second ball, after striking a boundary in the first ball against Kashvee Gautam.

But, just like the first match, Nat Sciver-Brunt was the saviour with the bat for Mumbai Indians. With Amelia Kerr (19 off 20), Nat built a 45-run partnership to take Mumbai’s total to 100. 

Nat Sciver-Brunt to rescue MI

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Report: Mumbai make it 5-0 over Giants, powered by Nat Sciver-Brunt's all-round performance | sportzpoint.com
Nat Sciver-Brunt hit successive fifties in WPL 2025. Image | WPL

Run scoring was not that easy on that wicket but Nat Sciver-Brunt was like playing on a different surface all-together. The English all-rounder completed her second fifty of the season in 33 balls. Nat though could not finish the job as she dragged one down to the stumps from Priya Mishra on 57 from 39 balls. 

S Sajana hit the winning runs for Mumbai as they chased down the total with 23 balls remaining in the inning. With this win, they have now moved up to the number two position on the points table. 

What did the captains say after the match?

 "We just lost wickets in clumps. We put a lot of onus on the top order to score a bulk of the runs but it wasn't to be (tonight)," Gardner said in the post-match presentation. 

"Whatever we talked about in the team meetings, we executed. Really happy everything went according to our plans. The first six overs are very important. Our bowlers did a great job," Harmanpreet Kaur stated. 

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians: Match Summary

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Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Match 5 Preview, Head-to-head stats, Possible Lineups and Fantasy team prediction

Read the full match preview of Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Match 5 as Gujarat Giants look to win their first-ever match against Mumbai Indians.

Feb 17, 2025, 11:47 PM4 min read

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Match 5 Preview, Head-to-head stats, Possible Lineups and Fantasy team prediction | sportzpoint.com
Kaur scored 95 against GG, when these two teams met last time in WPL 2024. Image | BCCI

Harmanpreet Kaur's Mumbai Indians will take Gujarat Giants in the Match No. 5 in Women's Premier League 2025 looking for their first win of the season. Here is everything you need to know before the Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians clash in WPL 2025. 

Match Details 

Match: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians

Tournament: WPL 2025, Match No. 5

Date: 18 February 2025

Time: 7.30 pm IST

Venue: BCA Stadium, Vadodara

Streaming Details

Cricket fans from Indian can watch the Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians match LIVE on Star Sports TV Channels on Television. They can also stream the match LIVE on JioHotstar for free.

GG vs MI: Head-to-head stats in WPL

Gujarat Giants have never won against the mighty Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League history. In the 4 games they have played against Mumbai Indians, they have faced huge defeats so far. 

Team Result Margin BR Opposition Ground Start Date
GG Women lost 143 runs - MI Women DY Patil 4 Mar 2023
GG Women lost 55 runs - MI Women Brabourne 14 Mar 2023
GG Women lost 5 wickets 11 MI Women Bengaluru 25 Feb 2024
GG Women lost 7 wickets 1 MI Women Delhi 9 Mar 2024

Team News: Gujarat Giants

Ashleigh Gardner smacked a fifty off 28 balls, Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz, WPL 2025, February 16, 2025 | sportzpoint.com
Ashleigh Gardner is the current Orange cap holder of WPL 2025. Image | BCCI

Gujarat Giants under new captain Ashleigh Gardner have looked a far better side, specially as a batting unit. After scoring 201 against RCB in their first match, they chased down 144 with two overs to go against UP Warriorz in their second match. 

In both the games, captain Ashleigh Garner was the star of the show. She scored fifties in both the games and registered the feat as the first Gujarat Giants batter. With 131 runs in two matches, she is currently the Orange cap holder of WPL 2025. 

The bowling line up also did better in the second match, after getting bashed down against RCB in the first match. Priya Mishra was excellent with here three-wicket haul against UP Warriorz.

Priya Mishra removed Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris in her second over, Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz, WPL 2025, February 16, 2025
Priya Mishra was excellent with her three-wicket haul vs UP Warriorz. Image | BCCI

However, it is the all-rounder Dendra Dottin, who has been the "missing link" for them this season as the West Indian powerhouse has been solid for them. 

The Orange army would love to continue their winning run and momentum. Thus, we can expect no changes in the playing XI as well. However, toss would be a vital factor in the match as chasing has looked an easier task in Vadodara with the dew in effect. 

Team News: Mumbai Indians

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Match 5 Preview, Head-to-head stats, Possible Lineups and Fantasy team prediction | sportzpoint.com
Harmanpreet Kaur scored 95 off 48 balls last time these two teams met. Image | BCCI

Mumbai Indians after their defeat in the last ball of the match at the hands of Delhi Capitals would love to turn their fortunes. Harmanpreet Kaur in the post match presentation had stated that the batters who were set including herself needed to score big to get a total closer to 180 or plus. 

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 Match 5 Preview, Head-to-head stats, Possible Lineups and Fantasy team prediction | sportzpoint.com
Nat Sciver-Brunt scored an unbeaten 80 in the last match. Image | BCCI

Nat Sciver-Brunt as usual looked by far the best batter from their team with a solid unbeaten 80 from 59 balls. However, she lacked support from the other as Mumbai were only able to put 164 on the board. They would love to have players like Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia and Amelia Kerr. 

However, Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr were superb with the ball in hand along with Shabnim Ismail. Except for Saika Ishaque, who went for 43 in her 4 overs, everyone was on point with their bowling effort. 

With only one game behind them, Mumbai are unlikely to change and chop many things this early. So, we can expect the same playing eleven against a team they have never lost. 

Read Also | Top Female Cricketers Who Are Making History

Possible lineups 

Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Dayalan Hemalatha, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar, Sayali Satghare, Priya Mishra, Kashvee Gautam.

Mumbai Indians: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, S Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Jintimani Kalita, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque.

Fantasy Team Prediction

Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt (VC), Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwar, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque.

 

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Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's)

Considering the performance throughout the year in cricket, the international body of cricket honors the players with ICC Award every year. Let's take a look at the Indian cricketers who have won ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's).

Jan 29, 2025, 2:19 PM7 min read

Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's) - Sportzpoint.com

Every cricketer's dream is to play for his country but when his game is appreciated at the international level and he is honored with the biggest award of that game, then it shows the ability, dedication and hard work of that player. 

Similarly, considering the performance throughout the year in cricket, the international body of cricket honors the players with ICC Award every year.

It is part of the ICC Awards and is one of the most prestigious individual accolades in cricket, recognizing outstanding consistency, impact, and contributions to the sport at the international level.

The recipient is awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, named after the legendary West Indies all-rounder.

In this article, we will take a look at the Indian cricketers who have won ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's) so far.

ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's) | Indian cricketer 

Rahul Dravid | 2004

Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's) - Sportzpoint.com

Former India captain Rahul Dravid won the two prestigious awards in the year 2004. He was the first Indian to secure any ICC awards. 

Fondly dubbed as ‘The Wall’ by fans, Dravid’s heroics in the longest format of the game are known to all, and he put out one of his finest performances in 2004.

The former India head coach played 12 Tests that year, scoring 946 runs at an average of 67.6, including two centuries and four fifties. 

His highest score in Test cricket that year came against Pakistan in Rawalpindi as he notched up a humungous 270(495), helping India get to a first-innings total of 600 after the hosts’ 224.

Overall, Dravid finished with 1971 runs in 43 international matches, Tests and ODIs combined. 

He hit three hundreds and a massive 14 half-centuries, hitting 207 fours and five sixes. 

Since the T20I format wasn’t introduced in 2004, Dravid finished with 1025 runs in 31 ODIs.

Also Read: ICC Men's Cricketer of the year since 2004

Jhulan Goswami | 2007

Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's) - Sportzpoint.com

Jhulan Goswami has become the first player from India to take the ICC Women's Player of the Year award in 2007. 

Goswami was also India's only representative in the individual player awards, with no representation from the men in the shortlist. 

She edged out Australia's Lisa Sthalekar and England's Claire Taylor.

The title was just reward for her bowling average of 12.40 in Tests and 21.80 in ODIs and, since Australia's Cathryn Fitzpatrick retired earlier this year, Goswami has also become the fastest female bowler in the world. 

She may have pace, but she has the accuracy to match, with an economy rate of 2.10 in Tests and 3.17 in ODIs.

Goswami is the second winner of the award after Karen Rolton won the prize in 2006.

Sachin Tendulkar | 2010

Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's) - Sportzpoint.com

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in 2010. 

Tendulkar fought off competition from Sehwag, Hashim Amla and Graeme Swann, the other nominees in the Cricketer of the Year category.

During the period Tendulkar scored 1064 runs at an average of 81.84 in ten Tests. 

He made 914 runs in 17 ODIs at 65.28, and also scored the format's first double-century against South Africa in Gwalior. 

Tendulkar was 37 years old in 2010, and he holds the record for being the oldest cricketer to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.

Ravichandran Ashwin | 2016

ICC Men's Cricketer of the year winners of last ten years - Sportzpoint.com

Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who very recently announced his retirement from international cricket, won the esteemed awards in the year 2016. 

Ashwin played his last international game against Australia and ended his career after the third Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Test at The Gabba.

Ashwin finished the year 2016 with 72 wickets in just 12 Tests, including eight five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls. 

He also added 612 runs to his account, including two half-centuries.

Ashwin played only two ODIs and picked up two wickets while he played 17 T20Is, taking 23 scalps and registering bowling figures of 4/8 that year. 

Overall, the now 38-year-old played 31 international matches and picked up 97 wickets.

Virat Kohli | 2017

ICC Men's Cricketer of the year winners of last ten years - Sportzpoint.com

Indian former Test skipper Virat Kohli has won the ICC Men's Cricketer Of The Year award first time in 2017 for his brilliant run at international cricket.

Kohli has aggregated 1059 runs in 10 tests, while he smashed 1460 runs in 26 ODIs. 

Kohli has smashed 11 hundred including three double hundreds across formats in the year 2017. 

Meanwhile, with 299 T20I runs, Virat Kohli has aggregated 2818 runs in 2017 across formats. 

He has also registered 27,324 runs so far during his international cricket career. 

Therefore for his brilliant performance throughout the year, he has been rewarded with the ICC Men's Cricketer Of The Year award.

Also Read: ICC Men's Cricketer of the year winners of last ten years

Virat Kohli | 2018

ICC Men's Cricketer of the year winners of last ten years - Sportzpoint.com

Yes, you read it write it's again Virat Kohli who has won the award back to back in 2017 & 2018. 

Former Indian skipper Kohli has also broken the record of Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest to score 10000 runs in ODI cricket this year. 

Kohli has aggregated 2735 runs across formats in 2018 including 11 hundred to his name. The former Indian white-ball captain has also retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy in the same year. 

Kohli has ended the year as the number 1 batsman in Tests and ODIs. 

Therefore, he received the award from ICC as the men's cricketer of the year 2018.

Smriti Mandhana | 2018

Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's) - Sportzpoint.com

Smriti Mandhana has won the ICC's Women's Cricketer of the Year Award in 2018. 

Mandhana, who was named ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year and ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2018, pipped fellow opening batters Beaumont, Lizelle Lee of South Africa, and Gaby Lewis of Ireland to the honour. 

Jhulan Goswami, who won the same award in 2007, is the only other Indian woman to ever win an ICC annual award.

In 2018, Mandhana had finished atop the run chart in women's ODIs with 669 runs at an average of 66.90 and was the third-highest scorer in T20Is with 622 runs at a strike rate of 130.67.

Jasprit Bumrah | 2024

ICC Men's Cricketer of the year winners of last ten years - Sportzpoint.com

Jasprit Bumrah was awarded the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year in 2024 due to his outstanding performances in all formats of the game.

Bumrah also became the first Indian pacer to win the award and was instrumental in India's success in the home Test series against England and Bangladesh. 

He also played a crucial role in the T20 World Cup win for his side.

Bumrah beat tough competition from Travis Head, Joe Root and Harry Brook to win the prestigious award. 

The pacer became the 5th Indian to win the award after Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016) and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).

Bumrah also won the ICC men's Test Cricketer Of The Year award as well after being the standout performer for India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he picked up 32 wickets.

The Indian pacer started the year with a terrific performance against England at home before he switched his attention to the T20 World Cup. 

Bumrah ended the tournament with 15 wickets and an average of 8.26 as India defeated South Africa in the final to lift the trophy.

The Indian pacer was adjudged as the Player Of the Tournament for his performance.

Bumrah's performance in Tests made him really stand out from the rest of the nominees. The pacer picked up 71 wickets in 13 matches, the highest by any bowler in 2024.

Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's)

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

In a Women's Cricket exclusive, Bengal senior team players Dhara Gujjar, Mita Paul, Priyanka Bala, Tanusree Sarkar and Sasthi Mondal shared their thoughts with Sportz Point after playing two finals in the domestic season.

Jan 10, 2025, 12:37 PM10 min read

Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive: Two out of two finals, record chase against Haryana, Jhulan Goswami, WPL and more - sportzpoint.com
(L-R) Sasthi Mondal, Priyanka Bala, Tanusree Sarkar, Dhara Gujjar and Mita Paul. Image | CAB

Bengal Women's Senior Cricket team played two out of two finals of domestic cricket this season. Though they were not able to win any of them, they showed why they are India's one of the best.

In the BCCI Senior Women's One-Day trophy final, Madhya Pradesh defeated them. Meantime, in the T20 final, Mumbai outclassed them. Apart from those two games, they looked like the best team in the country.

After the completion of the One-Day tournament, Sportz Point was lucky to have a conversation with five of the stars of this team. Openers Sasthi Mondal and Dhara Gujjar along with all-rounders Mita Paul and Tanusree Sarkar, plus wiicket-keeper Priyanka Bala shared their thoughts before going for the Challengers Trophy.

Lots of runs and a fearless approach

Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive: Two out of two finals, record chase against Haryana, Jhulan Goswami, WPL and more | sportzpoint.com
Bengal Senior Women's Cricket team after reaching SWODI final. Image | CAB

Despite having a good team over the years, this was only the second time the Bengal Senior Women's team reached the final in One-Day tournament. But, the 2019 champions had to create some of their own records to reach the final after five years.

In the quarter-finals, they defeated Shafali Verma's Haryana by chasing a record 390. With that, they also became the team with highest successful chase in Women's List-A cricket. In the semis, they again chased down 301 to beat the defending champions, Railways.

These run chases and high scores are a bit alien in Women's Cricket; especially in India. But, Bengal girls feel, that Women's cricket is improving at a rapid speed and this is just the start.

Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive: Two out of two finals, record chase against Haryana, Jhulan Goswami, WPL and more | sportzpoint.com
(L-R) Mita Paul and Dhara Gujjar after helping Bengal chase 301 against Railways. Image | CAB

Dhara Gujjar, who scored a stunning 123 in the semis against Railways feels, there is a change in the mindset of the players now. "As we have seen it in the knockout stages, honestly, I feel there is a change in the mindset of the players where they want to go and express themselves and play fearlessly," Dhara told Sportz Point.

Read Also | "Keep an eye on Mita Paul and Dhara Gujjar": Former Indian Cricketer Gargi Banerjee after Byju's Bengal Women's T20 Blast

Her opening partner, Sasthi Mondal echoed the same thoughts. Sasthi, who featured for India U-19s in the recent past, made her senior debut this season. "Obviously, there is a change in the mindset of the players. But, for me, this is my style of batting and I love this kind of game," the 19-year-old all-rounder expressed.

However, senior players like Mita Paul and Priyanka Bala feel there is another thing which is attributed to high-scoring games. Along with the fearless mindset, the pitches are also responsible for the amount of runs we have seen this season. As per Mita, the pitches this season have been mostly great for batting. That allowed them to go for the shots and attack throughout the inning.

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

Priyanka Bala, who scored the invaluable unbeaten 88 in that chase against Haryana feels the same as well. "Pitches were definitely better. Earlier the runs used to be around the 120-run mark. Now, you can see 200s in T20s and 300s in ODIs. So, it is great to see such facilities given to us now," the wicket-keeper batter shared.

Not only that, Bala feels if BCCI can provide pitches like this, we are not far away from having 400s being scored in Women's One Day games.

Tanusree Sarkar, who laid the foundation for other batters with a 113 in that match can sense that there would be more records like this in future. "If you can get flat pitches like this, I feel anything can be chased down," Sarkar revealed.

But, even if you have the best conditions and circumstances, chasing down huge totals and doing that in back-to-back games, ain't a Bollywood movie script. For that, you need proper preparation and planning.

That record chase against Haryana

Bengal Women's Cricketers Sasthi Mondal, Priyanka Bala, Tanusree Sarkar and Dhara Gujjar | sportzpoint.com
(L-R) Bengal Women's Cricketers Sasthi Mondal, Priyanka Bala, Tanusree Sarkar and Dhara Gujjar. Image | CAB

In both those games, each batter had their own plans and had their different roles too. For a young gun like Sasthi Mondal, there is only one way to play; smash the ball. She did that. "I am dominant from childhood. I like attacking the bowlers. I just did that. I did not go to bat thinking about the score," she said.

For Dhara, there were some initial doubts and she did not have any plan. She tried to take each over at a time and stay positive. "Honestly, there wasn’t any plan. And looking at the score, I didn’t believe that we would be able to get there. I just thought that I’m gonna go and play my shots and just take one over at a time," Dhara said while explaining her 69 runs at the top of the order against Haryana.

Tanusree meantime always had the belief that they could clinch the win. "I had the thought that we can win the match if we can stay positive. Once we had the momentum, we just wanted to keep the flow going."

Priyanka Bala and Mita Paul, who batted in the middle order during those chases in One-Day knockouts, had the same feelings. "Everyone had their role, described by the team management and the pitch allowed us to play shorts," Mita shared.

Bala, who averaged 69.33 with the bat in the tournament, always felt they were in the game in both games. "When Shafali (Verma) was hitting us like that, we did not panic. We knew we would have our chance. I think, being relaxed is what helped us a lot," she expressed.

Read Also | Exclusive | Taunts to Claps: Priyanka Bala's journey from rural village of Nadia to WPL

Bengal Women's Cricketers Chandrima Biswas, Saika Ishaque and Sushmita Ganguly - sportzpoint.com
(L-R_ Chandrima Biswas, Saika Ishaque and Sushmita Ganguly. Image | CAB

Though the batters had one of their best times in the One-Day tournament, it was the bowlers who performed in crunch moments in the T20 format.

In the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh, Bengal bowlers restricted the opponents to 116. Then followed it up by defending only 134 against a strong Himachal Pradesh in the semis. Captain Saika Ishaque with 13 wickets and Mita Paul with 8 wickets in the tournament, were always in the scheme of things. India pacer Titas Sadhu also did well whenever she was released for national duties.

Debutants, Young Guns and Jhulan Goswami

Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive - Jhulan Goswami with Richa Ghosh during a practice session | sportzpoint.com
Bengal team mentor Jhulan Goswami with Richa Ghosh during a training session | Image - CAB Media

Throughout the season, along with the seniors, it was the combination of youth and experience that helped Bengal triumph. Prativa Mandi, Sasthi Mondal, Hrishita Basu, and Monika Mal were among the debutants in the season.

"The youngsters did really well. I feel bowlers like Chandrima (16-year-old left-arm pacer), Prativa Mandi (17-year-old right-arm pacer) and others knew their roles. This helped us a lot," Mita Paul told Sportz Point.

"We had lots of debuts this season. But, honestly speaking, they all were ready," Priyanka Bala expressed while talking about the youngsters of the team.

"This time there were youngsters in our team and they jelled up quite well with the team. I tried communicating with them and helping them out if needed," Dhara Gujjar added.

But why was it so easy for 16 and 17-year-old teenagers to perform at that level? Jhulan Goswami is the answer. Bengal team management has been lucky to have the services of the most successful bowler in Women's Cricket history.

Sasthi Mondal, who had the luck of training under Jhulan from a very young age shared, "The best thing about Jhulan ma'am is that she makes you feel confident. She lets me be myself. But, she also knows when to push me to get the best out of myself."

Women's Cricket Exclusive - Tanusree Sarkar, Bengal Cricketer | sportzpoint.com
Tanusree Sarkar, after her player of the match performance against Haryana in SWODI. Image | CAB

However, along with the youngsters, there was someone who was starting from scratch for the Bengal team. Tanusree Sarkar, who previously had led the Bengal U-19 team, had joined Railways before taking an N.O.C to rejoin her home state this year. Priyanka Bala did the same as well a few years back.

"You can say that it was a homecoming for me. From Bengal U-19 to Railways and then to Bengal; but, I never think of these things that much. I try to stay in present," Tanusree expressed.

"As an all-rounder, I always look to find ways to contribute to the team. I always try to take things as they come; even in batting, bowling and fielding."

WPL and its impact

Saika Ishqaue named Bengal captain for 2024-25 season - sportzpoint.com
Saika Ishaque's WPL performance helped her win the India cap. Image | BCCI

With all of these wins and defeats, each and every women cricketer in India now has one thing in the corner of their eyes. It is the Women's Premier League. All these five cricketers agreed on the fact that WPL has changed the dynamics of Women's Cricket in India.

Be it playing more shots, being quicker and more agile across the turf or having more tricks up their sleeves as a bowler, WPL now has given everyone a reason to be better. "⁠I feel, WPL has changed the approach of players, and also the mindset of the players has changed," Dhara commented.

Sasthi Mondal, Priyanka Bala and Mita did not even hesitate to agree with Dhara's thoughts. As per Mita, WPL is now like a bridge to play for India. If one can reach WPL and do well, they now have great chances of making it to the Indian team as well.

But, unfortunately, no Bengal players were able to attract bids in the WPL 2025 auction. Only Priyanka Bala and Sushmita Ganguly were listed in the final player's list in the auction, but could not find any bidder.

Read Also | WPL 2025 auction Updates, News, Biggest Buys and Final squads | Simran Shaikh becomes the expensive buy at INR 1.9 cr

However, these things do not demotivate Bengal players. Rather, it gives them the push to be better. "I think, we all believe in performance. It is the last thing. If I am not getting picked that means there are lots of players like me. So, I need to keep getting better than them and focus on my game," Mita Paul stated.

Bengal Players in the SWT20 Trophy

Batting Stats

Pos in India Player Matches Runs Highest Score Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
2 Tanusree Sarkar 9 288 51* 48.00 111.19 0 1
4 Dhara Gujjar 8 240 61 34.29 100.84 0 2
8 Mita Paul 9 230 51 25.56 91.26 0 1
88 Priyanka Bala 9 89 17* 22.25 94.68 0 0

Bowling Stats

Pos in India Player Matches Wickets Runs Conceded Average Economy 4W
6 Saika Ishaque 9 13 129 9.92 3.83 1
27 Mita Paul 9 8 128 16.00 4.26 0
51 Sushmita Ganguly 9 7 142 20.28 4.73 0
80 Titas Sadhu 3 5 65 13.00 6.19 0

Bengal players in SWODI Trophy

Batting Stats

Pos in India Player Matches Runs High Score Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
5 Dhara Gujjar 9 414 123 69.00 80.07 1 3
15 Tanusree Sarkar 9 341 113 42.63 82.76 1 0
16 Mita Paul 9 337 91* 56.17 82.59 0 3
49 Priyanka Bala 9 208 88* 69.33 77.03 0 2

Bowling Stats

Pos in India Player Matches Wickets Runs Conceded Average Economy 5W
7 Saika Ishaque 9 17 244 14.35 2.94 0
32 Sushmita Ganguly 8 12 232 19.33 3.68 1
63 Tanusree Sarkar 9 10 250 25.00 5.01 0

 

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Biggest wins for India in WODIs

India Women registered its second-biggest WODI win in terms of runs, with a 211-run win in the first match against West Indies. Let's take a look at the biggest wins for India in WODIs.

Dec 23, 2024, 2:19 PM4 min read

Biggest wins for India in WODIs | sportzpoint.com
Image | BCCI

India registered a huge victory on Sunday in the first match of the ODI series between India Women vs West Indies Women. They have defeated West Indies by a huge margin of 211 runs in this match.

This margin of victory is India's second-largest ever in terms of runs in Women's ODIs. Only above it is their 249-run demolition of Ireland in a quadrangular series in 2017. It's also West Indies' biggest-ever defeat in the format, beating their 208-run loss to England in 2019.

Also Read: Most WT20I runs in a calendar year

Let's take a look at the biggest wins for India in WODIs.

Biggest wins for India | WODI

1# 249 vs Ireland (2017)

Biggest wins for India in WODIs | sportzpoint.com
Deepti Sharma scored 88 off 160 balls, hit the most fours by a batsman in an innings in Women's ODIs. Image | AP

The biggest win for India in Women's ODI was against Ireland in 2017. Chasing a whopping 359-run target in Potchefstroom, Ireland was bundled out for 109 in 40 overs as spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad and pacer Shikha Pandey dismissed four and three batters respectively.

The victory was made possible because of all-rounder Deepti Sharma scoring a career-best 188 (160), the second-highest individual score in the format at the time. Deepti, who has the second-highest average among ODI opening batters (min. 500 runs) to her name, used to open the batting frequently back in the day.

A mammoth 320-run opening stand alongside fellow centurion Punam Raut remains the highest partnership in the format to date. 

2# 211 vs West Indies (2024)

Biggest wins for India in WODIs - Sportzpoint.com

India scored their second-highest innings total at home, i.e., 314/9 in Vadodara today. Coincidently, both their 300+ ODI totals at home have come in 2024. Thanks to Smriti Mandhana's 91 off 102. Having missed out on becoming the fourth batter to register 10 ODI hundreds, Mandhana’s fourth 90s dismissal saw her equaling the record for the most such dismissals in the format.

In the second innings, a run-out handed India a wicket on the first legal delivery. With Renuka Singh picking two wickets in her first three overs and Saima Thakor following it with another one in the sixth over, West Indies just couldn’t recover from 11/4 in 5.2 overs. 

Renuka, who registered a maiden five-wicket haul, was adjudged the Player of the Match as it played a key role in dismissing the visitors on 103 in 26.2 overs.

3# 207 vs Pakistan (2008)

India defeated their arch-rivals Pakistan by 207 runs at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in 2008 for their third-biggest win in Women's ODIs. Captain Mithali Raj’s decision to bat first was followed by Jaya Sharma and Rumeli Dhar joining her in scoring half-centuries to power the team to 283/3 in 50 overs, India’s third-highest ODI innings total at the time.

In the second innings, Neetu David, Snehal Pradhan, and Jhulan Goswami's brilliant bowling bundled out Pakistan for 76 in 33.3 overs in the last league contest.

4# 193 vs Pakistan (2005)

A double-century partnership between Jaya Sharma and Anjum Chopra fashioned India's massive 193-run victory against Pakistan in the Asia Cup women's cricket limited-overs match. Jaya’s career-best performance, 138* (150), was part of the second-highest third-wicket ODI partnership (alongside Anjum Chopra) back then.

A day after India won a match by 10 wickets only for the third time in the format, they thwacked Pakistan by 193 runs after bowling them out for 96 runs in 41.4 overs on the back of David (7.4-5-7-3) and Nooshin Al Khadeer’s (10-7-7-2) magical bowling figures.

5# 186 vs New Zealand (2017) 

Biggest wins for India in WODIs | sportzpoint.com
Mithali Raj scored a stunning 109 from 123 balls in the first inning. Image | Getty Images

Put in to bat first by New Zealand captain Suzie Bates, Mithali Raj herself scored 109 (123) to play a titular role in India putting on board 265/7 in 50 overs. In a bid to complement their skipper, Veda Krishnamurthy and Harmanpreet also chipped in with half-centuries.

In reply, New Zealand bundled out for 79 right after the halfway mark in Derby. Gayakwad’s career-best bowling figures of 7.3-1-15-5 had seen her running through the opposition’s lineup.

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