The 2024 Women's T20 World Cup has ended on a high note, with New Zealand being the triumphant side as they got their hands on its first-ever tournament title. This league has seen the clash of the best ten teams across the women's cricket ecosystem.

But, this edition has seen some shocking, unpleasing performances from those campaigners who have been promising in the long run. After a dismal streak of game display, here's the Flop Playing XI of the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup. 

1.Smriti Mandhana (India)

Smriti Mandhana, the flamboyant left-handed opener from India, had a forgettable tournament. After leading the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad to their first Women's Premier League title, many expected she could apply the same calibre in this intense tournament. But scoring a mere 75 runs in four innings with one half-century to her name, the No.5 batter wasn't up to the mark and was criticized for her timid approach throughout this forgettable T20 World Cup.

2. Chamari Athapathatu (Sri Lanka) 

Chamari Athapathatu was prominent in the recent timelines of the Women's Cricket forum. Leading her side to win the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers and the Asia Cup, everyone had higher expectations from her to perform aggressively with her bat and captaincy. She has made 27 runs in just four matches, which didn't help convert her heroic run in this tournament.

3. Harmanpreet Kaur (India) (Captain)

Though Harmanpreet Kaur has been pretty good with the willow and made some crucial runs by scoring 150 runs at an average of 150 in just four games, the Indian captain did display a disappointing stint as a captain. Primarily due to unclear decision-making, lack of communication and mediocre lead-up to the emerging players, which attributed Kaur to be the captain for this Flop Playing XI of the tournament.

4. Heather Knight (England)

Heather Knight was one of the players to check out from the English side, thanks to her associations with the team for quite a long period of time. Being a reliable all-rounder, she couldn't convert it into crucial runs and wickets during the recent tournament. Knight scored just 27 runs in four matches, summing up her poor outing in the competitive league.   

5. Jemimah Rodrigues (India)

Jemimah Rodrigues, another Indian player on the women's World Cup flop list, had a perplexing campaign in which her batting position was never established. She was shifted up and down the order throughout the tournament, scoring only 68 runs in 4 innings.

6. Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)

Marizanne Kapp had a dismal campaign with the bat and the ball as South Africa advanced to the final. Kapp scored just 90 runs in six innings. Prominent for her lethal and hostile pace, Kapp took just a mere five wickets in six games. Kapp's poor performance was a significant factor in South Africa's defeat in the final.

Also Read: Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Best Playing XI of the Tournament

7. Richa Ghosh (India) (Wicketkeeper)

Richa Ghosh was expected to perform admirably for India with the bat and behind the stumps, but she performed horribly. Her faulty record-keeping assured India's poor performance on the pitch. Ghosh only managed 19 runs with the bat in four innings.

8. Fahima Khatun (Bangladesh)

Fahima Khatun from the Bangladesh side was expected to turn the tables with her spinning ability, but it didn't work in her arsenal's way. She was able to have four wickets on her hat in five matches, with a decent spinner's economy of over six.

9. Deepti Sharma (India)

Indian All-Rounder Deepti Sharma also disappointed fans with her performance, scoring only a bleak 49 runs in four games. In the critical encounters, Deepti wasn't up to the mark and didn't prove to be instrumental in such scenarios. She wasn't very appealing with her spinning abilities, as she took just four wickets in four games.

10. Rachel Slater (Scotland)

During the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers, Scotland's quickie, Rachel Slater, was meant to be promising, as she was the highest wicket-taker of that league. But, on the game's main stage, she was disappointed with her pace as she scalped just two wickets in four matches.

11. Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa)

Ayabonga Khaka has been one of the most reliable pacers for the runners-up Proteas side in the long-run aspects. But, based on this tournament, she didn't play much of a pivotal role in changing the game for her side with her quick pace. Khaka was able to scalp a mere four wickets in six games, which doesn't act synonymous, keeping her experience in mind.

India failed to bring their best game to the UAE and was eliminated from the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. India was projected to advance from the "Group of Death," which included reigning champions Australia and two-time finalists New Zealand, developing Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. However, Harmanpreet Kaur's team was only able to win the matches that were expected of them, and they were unable to compete with Australia and New Zealand.

Citing several reasons behind such a forgettable run, the Indian Women's side turned out to be a disappointment yet again, especially when they possessed the calibre to end up in the game's final stages. Here are the three probable significant factors behind the Indian women's side group-stage end of the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

Time for a captain swap?

One of the primary reasons behind such a downfall would be Harmanpreet Kaur's mediocre captaincy effort. Kaur has been in charge of the Indian squad since being appointed in 2016. While the unit has been a regular late-season fixture in competitions, including a few final appearances, team management may contemplate a swap ahead of the important ODI World Cup in 2025 happening in India.

From juggling around the No.3 spot in their batting unit to not displaying a robust game calibre of the game by the youngsters, the captain acts as a face behind such responsibilities. Though she would be captaining the team in the upcoming bilateral series against New Zealand, BCCI can make a crucial decision about a captain change, especially when they have young and promising contenders in their arsenal for this spot. 

Lacklustre performance across all the departments.

Another reason for the Indian Women's Team's underperformance was the lack of a standout display from all cricketing departments. Experienced hitters like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, among others, failed to provide India an advantage with the bat, losing wickets at critical periods of their innings throughout the tournament. Shafali Verma's flamboyant attitude as an opener also lacked effectiveness.

While misfields and lost catches have been regular for the Women in Blue recently, the opposition were automatically granted an advantage, which also cost India the matches. Even the bowler's side wasn't able to unleash their X-factor, as they conceded a lot of runs during the death overs.

Also Read: Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Final, South Africa vs New Zealand - Key players to watch

Complete chaos with no intent and clarity.

As mentioned earlier, the Indian Women's team's performance was marred by a lack of clarity about player roles and tactics. This lack of intent and strategy was the most evident issue with India's campaign. It's about time the team got a reality check. To remedy the gaps in preparation, execution, and strategy, players and coaches must reflect, accept responsibility for their failures, and work harder.

India's Women's T20 World Cup performance raises further issues about the team's administration and leadership. The team's chances of healing from this painful event improve the sooner they admit their mistakes. India must prepare for both white-ball versions, with the impending 2025 Women's World Cup scheduled to happen amongst their home fans.

The women's Indian Cricket team would be one of the major contenders for the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup in the UAE. With an optimum mix of experienced and emerging players, the team can strive their way to their first-ever title in the short-format tournament.

With the team reaching the finals twice and their 2022 run ending in the group stage, the side under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur and her deputy, Smriti Mandhana, would be eager to turn the tables. That said, here's the list of the three players to check out from the Indian side for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup, in addition of the announced full squad and its probable XI.

Announced Women's India 2024 T20 World Cup Full Squad: 

Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia* (Wicketkeeper), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajana Sajeevan

*subject to fitness clearance

India's Probable XI:

1. Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain)
2. Shafali Verma
3. Yastika Bhatia
4. Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain)
5. Jemimah Rodrigues
6. Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper)
7. Deepti Sharma
8. Pooja Vastrakar
9. Shreyanka Patil
10. Asha Joy
11. Renuka Singh Thakur

Also Read: 2024 Women's T20 World Cup: Top 3 players to check out from the women's New Zealand squad

Top-3 player to check out from India in the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup:

Harmanpreet Kaur

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur is widely recognised as one of the top players in the world. When you consider some of the most crucial events in Indian women's cricket, she is almost certainly involved. She has subsequently become a well-known cricketer with an impressive international record. She has scored over 3,000 runs and taken 32 wickets in international T20 matches, notably a show-stopping effort against Australia in which she scored 46 runs from 31 balls to secure India's highest-ever run chase.

In 2019, Kaur became the first Indian cricketer to make over 100 international T20 appearances for her country, showcasing her effect on the game. The all-rounder will want to lead India to a more successful run.

Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana, one of the most reliable Indian openers in the game, instils dread in any bowling attack. After smashing ceiling after ceiling, she is now one of the top names on the list of tournament coaches worldwide. In addition to her widespread recognition in the WPL after winning the maiden title for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, she has gained popularity in other cash-rich international events like the WBBL and The Hundred.

She has demonstrated her ability to perform under the most challenging situations. Seeing her as one of the tournament's leading run scorers will be no surprise. In 141 T20I appearances, she has scored 3493 runs, including 26 half-centuries, at an average of 30. 

Deepti Sharma

Deepti Sharma, who ranked third in the ICC WT20 all-rounder rankings, has emerged as a pivotal player for India in recent years in both bat and ball. Her efforts in the most recent World Cup in South Africa earned the 27-year-old a spot in the ICC Team of the Year 2023.

After changing her bowling approach halfway through her career, Sharma became the first Indian cricketer to take 100 IT20 wickets in 2018 and has since gone from strength to strength in competitions worldwide. In her humongous stint of 117 matches, she has scalped 131 wickets at an economy of 5.97 and made over 1000 runs, signifying her all-rounder persona. 

Reports from PTI confirm that fans will enjoy complimentary entry to the upcoming India women’s cricket team matches against England and Australia in Mumbai. The series features both ODI and T20I contests between the Indian women’s team and their English and Australian counterparts.

The action kicks off with the India Women’s A team facing England in a three-match T20 series starting on December 29. The matches are scheduled for November 29, December 1, and 3, all starting at 1:30 pm.

Following this, the senior women’s team engages in a three-match T20I series against England at the Wankhede Stadium on December 6, 7, and 10, with matches starting at 7 pm IST.

See Also:IPL 2024: CSK CEO Expresses Optimism Regarding MS Dhoni’s Participation, Says “He is Quite Fit”

MCA president Amol Kale and the apex council, in a unanimous decision, have decided to offer free entry to encourage support for women’s cricket. Secretary Ajinkya Naik emphasized that this initiative not only aims to fill the stadium but also promotes empowerment through women’s T20 cricket.

The excitement continues with a one-off Test between the Indian and England women’s teams from December 14-17 at DY Patil in Navi Mumbai. Subsequently, the Indian women’s team faces Australia in a one-off Test at the Wankhede Stadium from December 21 to 24, followed by a three-match ODI series.

The ODI matches are scheduled for December 28, 30, and January 2, 2024, all to be held at the Wankhede Stadium starting at 1:30 pm. The series concludes with a three-match T20I series at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 5, 7, and 9, beginning at 7 pm IST.