NEW DELHI: Former captain Mithali Raj believes India has a genuine chance to end their long-standing trophy drought if they capitalize on key moments and shift momentum in their favor during crucial matches at the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup.
As hosts, India will enter next month’s tournament among the favorites, alongside Australia and England. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the ‘Women in Blue’ will be aiming for their maiden 50-over World Cup title, having finished runners-up twice before.
“I think India needs to seize those small but crucial moments during big games,” Raj told ICC Digital. “That’s often the difference between teams in contention. The ones who make the most of these moments can swing the momentum, and India must do the same.”
Having guided India to the World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017, Raj believes a title win would be transformative for women’s cricket in the country.
“It would be huge. Every player dreams of lifting the World Cup, and India hasn’t achieved that yet,” she said. “We’ve come close twice, but never held the trophy. Winning at home would be even more special—playing on that stage and giving fans the opportunity to witness it firsthand.”
India’s recent white-ball tour of England highlighted the promise of young talents like Kranti Goud and Shree Charani, as the team swept both the T20I and ODI series. Raj was particularly impressed with 22-year-old pacer Goud.
“Kranti Goud showed remarkable raw talent in England,” Raj said. “She has WPL experience but is still relatively new to international cricket. Her grit as a seamer, consistently bowling and taking wickets, stood out—especially her six-wicket haul. I’d love to see her perform in the World Cup at home.”
The Women’s World Cup kicks off on September 30, with India set to open their campaign against co-hosts Sri Lanka.
