“Want another pool of 20-25 players”: Amol Muzumdar's Strategy to Build Bench Strength via WPL

Amol Muzumdar, the head coach of India’s Women’s team, has outlined his strategy to cultivate a pool of 20-25 players sourced from the Women’s Premier League season 2. His aim is to fortify their reserves and enhance bench strength. Muzumdar disclosed this during his commentary in the recent WPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore Women and Gujarat Giants.

He particularly stressed the importance of nurturing a group of highly skilled fast bowlers. Muzumdar believes that strengthening India’s bowling department will significantly elevate the team’s performance. Despite the decent performance of the Indian women’s team under Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership, their vulnerability in handling pressure during ICC finals, akin to the men’s team, remains a pressing issue.

Strategic Vision: Building a Strong Reserve Pool

Taking charge as head coach just before the home series against England and Australia last year, India secured victories in the one-off Tests against both teams. However, they faced setbacks in the limited-overs series, with England and Australia clinching 2-1 victories in the T20Is and a 3-0 win in the ODIs, respectively.

The pace bowling contingent in the white-ball matches featured Renuka Singh, Titas Sadhu, along with all-rounders Pooja Vastrakar and Amanjot Kaur. Although Meghna Singh was part of the Test squad, she didn’t feature in any of the games. Muzumdar expressed his desire to expand the pool of players to bolster the Indian team’s depth, emphasizing the importance of reinforcing the bowling attack.

Unveiling Hidden Gems: Talent Discovery and Development

Muzumdar underscored the wealth of talent within the Indian Women’s team, citing examples like Sajeevan Sajana and Satheesh Shubha. Sajana grabbed attention with her match-winning six against Delhi Capitals in the opening WPL match for Mumbai Indians Women.

Meanwhile, Satheesh Shubha, who represents RCB, made her India debut in the one-off Test against England last year. Muzumdar recounted discovering Shubha during a four-day warm-up game at the NCA in Bengaluru and credited Harmanpreet for promptly agreeing to include Shubha in the squad.

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Highlighting the depth of Indian cricket, Muzumdar lauded Sajana’s performance and shared his experience of identifying Shubha’s talent during the warm-up game. He expressed gratitude to Harmanpreet for her swift approval in calling up Shubha to the national team.