FINDING THEIR FEET

While Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have managed to stand out through their hard work and skill, there are others who may not be well known but have the talent. HT takes a look:

SHIKHA PANDEY

A former Indian Air Force officer and the first cricketer from Goa to represent the country. An electronics and electrical engineer, she passed out from the Goa Engineering College. She has more than 50 national caps to her name.

PUNAM RAUT

Rose to fame after stitching a 320-run stand with Deepti Sharma against Ireland in the quadrangular series in South Africa and has proved her worth. The duo recorded the highest opening stand, eclipsing the 286-run partnership between Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya. She has been impressive in the World Cup so

far with 149 runs.

SMRITI MANDHANA

Just 20, but has made a mark after becoming the only Indian to feature in the ICC Women’s Team of the Year 2016. Known for her batting style, she was compared to Virender Sehwag, which led him to tweet: “She is the first version of Smriti and is special.”

DEEPTI SHARMA

A fan of Suresh Raina’s inside-out shots, she missed out on a double ton by 12 runs when she and Punam created history. Deepti made her India debut at 17. Although she scored just one run, she said: “I never had a ‘dream debut’ in my head. But those two wickets gave me confidence that if I have an off-day in one department, I can bank on other skills to contribute.”

EKTA BISHT

One of India’s main strike bowlers, Ekta has come a long way. Her father’s earnings barely met the family’s needs but that didn’t deter her from chasing her dream. Against Pakistan, her five-for was instrumental in India’s win.