The semi-finals are set. India will face World Championships Australia in the first semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2023. Meanwhile, England will face host South Africa in the second semi-final of the World Cup. Although India have already played a match against England, facing Australia will be their biggest challenge so far in the tournament.

Former India cricketer, Gargi Banerjee feels that India need to go fearless and without pressure in the match in Australia. According to her, the world champions have everything to lose against India, whereas the Indian team can create history by defeating them.

Read Also: ICC Women's T20 World Cup Semi-Finals Fixture, schedule, and timings

Since winning the 2020 T20 World Cup final against India, the Australian team has played 22 T20I matches and won 20 of them. Their record against India is phenomenal and with their full-strength team, it is quite tough to go past them.

The Aussies have lost just two official matches in any format since losing a T20I to New Zealand on March 21, 2021 – but notably, both of those defeats have come to India.

On the other hand, the Indian team didn't look at their best till now in the tournament. Opener Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma have struggled to time the ball as well as they would love to. Although Smirti managed to score some runs against Ireland (87 from 56 balls) but didn't look at her best.

"As I have already told you after the match against England, you cannot win against bigger teams with individual performances. We need a collective performance from India to be the world champions," Gargi Banerjee said in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.

The biggest worry for India is that Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has not been in great touch in the tournament. She has already admitted to being "worried" about the dots balls she and her team is playing. Along with that bowlers have not been at their best either in the tournament except for Renuka Singh.

"Dot balls are something which already worrying us. In the next game, we would love to see some improvement in that area also."

Harmanpreet Kaur said after the win against Ireland.

Renuka has been great with the new ball but lacked support from the spinners in the middle overs. Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav have been pretty average so far in the T20 World Cup 2023. Even India's highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals, Deepti Sharma has not been consistent enough in the tournament.

"Yes, Renuka has been good. It will be great for India if she can give that early strike against Australia. Her spell in the powerplay would be vital in the semifinals," Gargi Banerjee added.

"But the main thing is other bowlers need to support her. All of them are lacking, consistency and discipline in their bowling. This will be now or never for them. So how they bowled in the middle overs will decide the result of the match."

In that case, the former India cricketer feels if India can bring Harleen Deol to the team, she can bring her all-round ability against the Aussies. Harleen can bowl a few hours of off-spin and also can score some vital runs in the middle order.

"We're not expecting it to be easy by any means, whether it's with a bat or the ball, but we certainly know the style of play they've come at us with in the past and they know ours pretty well, too.

Beth Mooney said ahead of the semi-final against India.

Although Australia topped the group stage and won every match, they didn't look at their peak either. Hence, if India can attack the horses with fearless cricket and manages to put pressure on the opponent, they can surely upset the world champions.

"It will be tough to beat Australia, but it isn't impossible. They will have the pressure to retain the title and India will have everything to win. Hence, I believe India should go in with a fearless attitude and make things happen on the ground. My best wishes are with the team."

Abdul Monayem is a name that will go down in the history of Kolkata Club Cricket without any doubt. The former fast bowler joined Bhowanipur Club as a coach in 2009-10, when the team had just been promoted to the first division. Since then, he has helped them win three league titles along with multiple trophies.

Not only that, he helped East Bengal win the P.Sen trophy this season and qualify for the league final after nearly ten years. 

Monayem retires from club coaching 

After spending 20 years in club cricket and emerging as one of the most successful club coaches, Abdul Monayem decided to retire from club coaching. 

But why? 

Monayem answered the reason, along with sharing his future goal, in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point, just one day after the announcement via a Facebook post.

"This is a very personal decision. Just woke up that morning and felt like I was not enjoying it anymore. So, decided to leave club coaching," Monayem answered when Sportz Point asked him about the reason for calling it a day at club level. 

"Even after the last season for Bhowanipur, I was thinking about this. But two seasons back, Nitu (Debabrata) Sarkar invited me to take up the challenge to help the East Bengal cricket team become a winning side. So, I took up the challenge," he added. 

Read Also | Bengal Pro T20 League Exclusive: 9 cricketers teams should go after, who did not play or got picked last time

Abdul Monayem won nearly every possible trophy for the Bhowanipur Cricket club, and when he joined East Bengal, the goal was to make them win trophies.

"When I joined East Bengal two seasons back, the team was already made. This season, I was able to make the team. We won the P.Sen trophy and will play the league final again. Very happy to get them back to winning ways," Monayem shared. 

Will Monayem be there for East Bengal in the league final?

But, with his announcement now, the big question raised is whether he will be able to be there for the East Bengal cricket club during the big league final against Bhowanipur this season? 

Monayem answered, "NO".

Abdul Monayem will travel to France to attend his son's convocation and support him on this important day.

Along with players, coaches, and staff always miss the chance to be there for their families and with their son's one of the biggest days approaching, Monayem does not want to miss the chance to be there for him. 

That is why he had already informed East Bengal that if they reach the final, he will not be there on the sidelines. East Bengal club also respected his decision and accepted the letter from Monayem. 

"I will be visiting France for my son's convocation. My wife and I will both be there. I have missed a lot of things for cricket and coaching. I did not want to miss this."

So, I had sent a letter to East Bengal earlier that if we reach the final, I will not be there for the team. East Bengal also respected my decision and accepted the letter," Monayem shared. 

Read Also | Exclusive: "I would love to see more sixes, more runs," Shreevats Goswami wants bigger scores in Bengal Pro T20 League 2025

Monayem's secret sauce

Throughout his coaching career, Abdul Monayem not only won trophies for his club but also developed players who can contribute to Bengal cricket in the long run. He has helped several accomplished players return to the Bengal team. 

Shib Shankar Paul, Saurasish Lahiri, and Arnab Nandi are just a few of the names who managed to return to the Bengal Ranji team after excelling under Monayem at Bhowanipur Club.

Players like Ravikant Singh, Sumit Mohanta, Sourav Paul, and Agniv Pan made their first-class debuts for Bengal after playing under Monayem.

"Before signing any player, I used to ask them if they only had a dream of playing the Ranji trophy for Bengal, then sign for my club," Monayem answered.

Read Also | Bengal Cricket Exclusive: "If 100 does not work, I will score 150," Sandipan Das doesn't want to leave any stone unturned

"I did not become a coach to earn money"

Monayem, who loves to read and write about cricket and coaching, follows the great P.K. Banerjee's style of coaching, where he tries to develop a one-on-one connection with players more than anything else. 

As per Monayem, knowing the pulse of the players and then instilling faith in them is the main thing of coaching. If any coach can do that, they will win half the battle. 

Since the beginning of Sportz Point, multiple Bengal cricketers have mentioned Abdul Monayem in their interviews, and more than winning any trophies, Monayem feels this is his biggest achievement in his coaching career. 

"I did not become a coach to earn money. I did not do this for money," Abdul Monayem expressed. 

"I became a coach to stay in touch with them. Chitrak Mitra, the former BCCI vice-president, gave me the responsibility at that time and told me that I was good enough to be a coach."

"Since then, my only goal has been to create valuable cricketers and give Bengal a few cricketing stars."

"I have only one regret from club cricket"

Despite all the success, Abdul Monayem has only one regret within himself. He wished to give Bengal cricket an iconic cricketer like Sourav Ganguly, but he feels he failed to do so. 

Monayem, who gave Abishek Porel his first break in the first division cricket and told him that he bats like Brian Lara, believes Porel can be the next big star from Bengal. But, after all of these years, Monayem knows that to find and create the next Sourav Ganguly, he will have to go back to the roots and scout talent from the U-13 level. 

Taking the reference of Mumbai cricket, Monayem said, "You saw how they have stands named after so many players. They keep on creating iconic players season after season. I believe in Bengal we can also do that, given we have the system and infrastructure."

This is why Monayem now wants to scout and find young talents for Bengal, only if the Cricket Association of Bengal finds him worthy enough for that role. 

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

"I want to scout and work with young kids to find and make the next Sourav Ganguly"

At A.S.O.S, Monayem trains 30 kids for free so that Bengal cricket's next generation is in safe hands. Players like Rahul Prasad have emerged from Monayem's A.S.O.S camps. 

Read Also | From delivering online food to getting selected for India U-19 camp, Rahul Prasad's journey is an inspiring one

"If you want to have iconic players like Sourav Ganguly, who inspired multiple generations of Bengal cricketers, you will have to find them young and make them believe they can rule Indian cricket. I want to do that work for Bengal, if C.A.B. feels I am good enough for that job," Monayem stated. 

Emphasising icons like Sourav Ganguly and Jhulan Goswami's roles in Bengal cricket, Monayem added, "Only if we can have global icons like them from Bengal, then only we will be able to secure Bengal cricket's future."

Abdul Monayem's club coaching career

• High Court Club (2004-05 to 2005-06)

  • Marked the start of coaching career after a 20-year playing career.
  • Opportunity provided by Pankaj Mallick and Binay Mishra.
  • Coached under captain Rajiv Dutta (now an NCA Coach).
  • Key players: Sourav Sil, Bunty Gowala.
  • Focused on building a strong team dynamic, laying the foundation for coaching philosophy.

• Mohun Bagan (2006-07 to 2007-08)

  • Joined through Dipankar Hazra and Anjan Mitra.
  • Seasons led by captains Palash Bhowmick, Utpal Chatterjee (2006-07), and Manoj Tiwary (2007-08).
  • Notable players: Chaminda Vass (JC Mukherjee Trophy), Virat Kohli (P Sen Trophy), Wriddhiman Saha, Debabrata Das, Dharmendra Singh, Sabir Ali, Safi Ahmed, Sougata Dutta.
  • Achieved significant success due to team talent and dedication.

• South Eastern Railway Team BNR (2008-09)

  • Coached under captain Soham Ghosh.
  • Brief tenure but enriched with valuable experiences and team spirit.

• Bhawanipore Club (2009-10 to 2022-23)

  • Invited by Chitak Mitra to rebuild a struggling 1st Division team.
  • Coached for 14 seasons, nurturing young Bengali talents and experienced players.
  • Key players included: Shiv Shankar Paul, Sourasish Lahiri, Charanji Singh, Arnab Nandy, Subhajit Banerjee, Aritra Chatterjee, Amit Biswas, Jayojit Basu, Abhishek Das, Writtick Chatterjee, Debopriya Ghosh, Kamal Hassan Mandol, Soumya Pakre, Arunlal Yadav, Dibyendu Chakraborty, Abhishek Choudhury, Partha Sarathi Bhattacharya, Prinann Dutta, Ravikat Singh, Sandipan Das, Agniv Pan, Abhishek Raman, Amir Gani, Kaushik Ghosh, Pradipta Pramanik, Writam Porel, Geet Puri, Prosenjit Das, Sujit Yadav, B. Amit, Nilkantha Das, Ayan Bhattacharya, Alok Pratap Singh, Uddipan Mukherjee, Sryean Chakraborty, Abhishek Porel (2018, now a Bengal and IPL star), Mukesh Kumar (now an Indian pacer).
  • Focused on developing young talent, leading to significant player growth and success.

• East Bengal Club (2023-25)

  • Won the P.Sen Trophy 2024-25 and helped East Bengal reach the league final of 2024-25 season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the Indian Women's Cricket team squad for the upcoming England tour starting June 28th, 2025.

The Women in Blue will play five T20Is and three ODIs against the England Women's Cricket team.

Harmanpreet Kaur was named the captain of the both squads. Meantime, Smriti Mandhana was named the vice captain of the team. 

Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare are a few of the new names in the squad who were not part of the Tri-Nation series-winning squad for India. Shafali Verma returned to the T20I squad after missing out for a few months due to being off form.

Read Also | Most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs: No one is catching Smriti Mandhana

Indian Women's Cricket team squad for the England tour

India’s T20I Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare

India's ODI Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare

India's tour to England full schedule 

After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.

Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.

Also Read: The Kohli Effect: Will Indian fans lose interest in Test cricket after Virat Kohli's retirement?

The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.

India will play New Zealand twice

India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.

It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.

India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026

In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.

The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.

Also Read: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

India's ODI schedule till World Cup 2027

With another century in the tri-nation series final against Sri Lanka, Smriti Mandhana now has extended her lead in the list of Indian players with the most centuries in Women's ODIs. The left-handed opener scored a staggering 116 from 101 balls to help India score 342 in the first inning in Colombo.

Here is a list of seven women batters with the most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs.

Also Read: Most T20I runs for Indian Women's team: Smriti Mandhana at top

Most centuries by Indian cricketers (WODI)

7. Jaya Sharma | 2 Centuries

Former Indian batter Jaya Sharma was only the second female Indian cricketer to have scored a century in ODI cricket. She smashed two centuries in WODI cricket in her career.

While her first century had come against Pakistan during Women's Asia Cup 2005 in Karachi, she scored another one in a winning effort against Australia in 2007 in Chennai making her the first Indian women to score an ODI century at home.

The left-handed batter could've achieved the milestone a few years before had she converted a couple of nervous 90s into hundreds.

6. Jemimah Rodrigues | 2 Centuries

Jemimah Rodrigues etched her name in the record books with a blistering century as India Women posted 337/9 in 50 overs against South Africa Women in the fifth match of the Women’s Tri-Series 2025 at Colombo.

Rodrigues delivered a sensational knock of 123 runs off just 101 balls, anchoring the middle overs and setting the tone for a massive total. Her innings featured 15 fours and one six, scored at a strike rate of 121.78.

With this century, Jemimah has now joined the elite list of most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs. This is also Rodrigues' highest score in Women's ODIs after her 102 against Ireland Women earlier this year.

5. Thirush Kamini | 2 Centuries

Former Indian and Tamil Nadu opener Thirush Kamini played for India at a time when women's cricket wasn't really picking up in the country. Regardless, she did well in her limited opportunities and notched a ton twice in her ODI career that spanned 39 matches and scored 825 runs at an average of 25.78.

Kamini's maiden ODI hundred came in India's win over the West Indies in the 2013 ODI World Cup. She stroked a 146-ball 100 to power India to a total of 284/6 in the first innings. India won that match comfortably and Thirush Kamini was rightfully awarded the POTM award.

4. Punam Raut | 3 Centuries

The diminutive Indian batter Punam Raut was one of the pillars in Indian batting along with Harmanpreet, Smriti, Mithali and Veda Krishnmurthy. Punam has recorded three centuries in women's ODI cricket.

Punam smashed one WODI century at a home venue and two WODI centuries at neutral venues. Her highest score in this format is 109 not out against Ireland Women at Potchefstroom during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017.

3. Harmanpreet Kaur | 6 Centuries

Indian Women's Cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur is one of the finest batters in Indian women’s cricket history. The right-handed batter has scored six WODI centuries in her career. 

Apart from three home WODI centuries, Harmanpreet also recorded two WODI hundreds at neutral venues and one more at an away venue. Her highest WODI score is 171 not out against Australia Women during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 semi-final.

2. Mithali Raj | 7 Centuries

Former Indian cricketer and captain Mithali Raj (7805 runs) is still the only player to score 6000 and 7000 WODI runs. The leading WODI run-scorer was the previous record holder for most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs.

She recorded seven WODI hundreds in her career.

While Mithali scored three WODI centuries at home, the right-handed batter recorded three WODI centuries at neutral venues and one at an away venue. Her highest WODI knock was 125 not out against Sri Lanka Women at Katunayake in 2018.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest centuries in Women's T20Is

1. Smriti Mandhana | 11 Centuries

Indian opening batter Smriti Mandhana is one of the best batters in the modern generation. The left-hander holds the record for most centuries by Indian cricketers in WODIs.

She achieved the record solely in January 2025 after scoring a 70-ball century against Ireland in the final ODI of a three-match series in Rajkot. It was her tenth WODI hundred. 

Mandhana has scored four WODI centuries at home, five WODI centuries in away venues, and two WODI hundreds at neutral venues. By scoring three out of four WODI home centuries in 2024, she also became the first Indian player to record three WODI hundreds in a calendar year.

Her record WODI score is 136 against South Africa Women in the 2024 Bengaluru WODI. 

The second season of the Bengal Pro T20 League is set to commence on May 16, starting with the women's tournament, while the men's tournament will begin on June 4. Although the first season was relatively successful, the fans were somewhat disappointed by the limited runs scored by the batters. Shreevats Gowasmi, a former Bengal and IPL cricketer, hopes to see more runs this season to attract both scouts and fans.

Goswami, a 2008 ICC U-19 World Cup winner and the recipient of the 2008 IPL Emerging Player of the Year award, shared his insights in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point. 

"Youngsters should focus on performing in state tournaments like BPT20L

The former left-handed top-order batter, who is a commentator and cricket analyst now, emphasised the significance of local state leagues in a recent Instagram post, highlighting the necessity for players to focus on these leagues before aspiring for larger platforms like the Indian Premier League.

"I.P.L. teams are always on the lookout for unknown talents who can surprise opponents. Players like Priyansh Arya, Aniket Verma, Vignesh Puthur, and Digvesh Rathi were relatively unknown before entering the I.P.L. All of them made a significant impact in their first few games. This is what teams are currently seeking," Goswami told Sportz Point.

"Since I.P.L. teams now send scouts to observe performances in state T20 leagues, there's always a possibility of getting noticed through these leagues. Thus, players must concentrate on delivering strong performances in tournaments like the Bengal Pro T20 League," he added.

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A post shared by Shreevats Goswami (@shreevatsgoswami)

In addition to providing a platform for players, Goswami believes these leagues can also benefit the states by helping identify the next generation of cricketers. 

"With these leagues comprising 5-7 franchise teams, they offer a pool of players to evaluate. This also aids states in discovering their next wave of talent. So, it works well for both young players and the states," Goswami expressed.

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"I would love to see more sixes and bigger scores"

To attract fans and impress scouts in a T20 format, significant scores and exhilarating last-ball finishes are crucial. These elements highlight the skills of the batters while challenging bowlers in high-pressure situations similar to those encountered in the I.P.L. 

For example, Priyansh Arya made headlines in the Delhi Premier League by hitting six sixes in an over during his knock of 120 runs off 50 balls. Ashwani Kumar bowled six yorkers in an over in the Sher E Punjab T20 Trophy in 2024. 

Such performances helped both players secure spots in the auction, leading to notable achievements—Arya scored the third-fastest IPL century by an Indian, while Ashwani became the first Indian man in IPL history to take more than three wickets on his debut.

"The only thing I want to see this season in the Bengal Pro T20 League is big sixes and bigger scores. More scores in the range of 180-200, or even greater, will challenge the batters to aim for large hits during chases, while also providing opportunities for bowlers to excel in demanding conditions," Goswami stated. 

"However, given all the I.P.L. matches and club games throughout the season, it may be challenging to secure batting-friendly pitches. Nevertheless, I am confident that the C.A.B. will make an effort to prepare batting-friendly wickets this season," he added.

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

"Batters need to do more open nets"

To achieve high scores and experience impactful performances, Bengal's highest run scorer of Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy feels that batters need to adopt a more fearless approach. As one of Bengal's greatest white-ball batters, he advises players to engage in open net sessions to enhance their hitting skills. 

"I would recommend that young batters spend more time in open nets. See if you can clear the boundaries or not. Aim to hit 100 sixes every day from the centre of the ground. This will help them understand their abilities and better prepare for matches," Goswami shared.

Using the example of a talented 14-year-old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Shreevats noted, "Look at someone like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Even at such a young age, his hitting ability rivals that of anyone in the I.P.L. How does he achieve that? First, he has a fearless mindset, and second, he practices hitting big sixes."

"Developing the habit of hitting sixes is essential for success in leagues like the Bengal Pro T20 League."

Read Also | Exclusive: "Do not call him a 'baccha', he will play T20s for India in two years," says Bihar head coach after Vaibhav Suryavanshi's historical IPL ton

"More T20-specific practice is needed"

The last time Bengal won a white-ball tournament was in 2012 when they lifted the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with Shreevats as the opener for the team. Since then, they have struggled to achieve similar success in white-ball cricket. While they have reached a few finals in red-ball formats, their white-ball accomplishments have been elusive.

Read Also | Where Are They Now: Last Time Bengal Men's Cricket Team Won A Trophy

Shreevats believes that to thrive in the white-ball format or T20 cricket, players must engage in more T20-specific practices. Additionally, he feels that academies should provide grounds that allow for more open net sessions. 

"It is quite basic. Batters need to participate in more T20-focused practices. For that, access to open nets at training academies would greatly benefit the players."

But how can Bengal cultivate stars like Vaibhav?

Shreevats, who became a cricketing star even before turning 18, believes that to cultivate more white-ball talents at a young age, guardians need to place greater trust in coaches and allow them to develop the children. Additionally, coaches should engage with the kids to understand their aspirations and then guide them accordingly.

“To develop any cricketer, guardians need to have more confidence in the coach's abilities, and coaches should ask the kids what they want to achieve. After understanding their goals, coaches can guide them in the right direction,” Goswami shared.