Amol Mazumdar is the current Head Coach of India Women cricket team. Under his mentorship, India Women made groups exit to T20 World Cup 2024. What are Coach options ahead of BCCI?
India Women’s T20 World Cup journey reached a dead end on Monday when New Zealand Women knocked out Pakistan Women by a heavy margin of 54 runs. India needed a win from Pakistan to stay alive in the competition, but that plan never came to the fore as Fatima Sana and her brigade collapsed for 56 in their pursuit of a modest target of 111. After suffering a heavy loss against the White Ferns in the tournament opener, the writing was already on the wall for India Women. Despite registering wins against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Blues never looked at their fluent best. But it was all but over when Australia came out on top in a high-octane run chase as India Women fell short by 9 runs.
Following team India’s exit from the tournament, a lot of tough questions are piling up. Some have questioned the lack of intent of the players, while Harmanpreet’s leadership has also come under the scanner. Amol Muzumdar, the head coach of India Women in this T20 World Cup, also has to shoulder a lot of blame and face the wrath of the fans. Muzumdar at the helm has undoubtedly been a serious let-down, as he failed to instil the spark that was so desperately needed for the India Women’s team to beat the best in the business. So should the BCCI look to replace him? And why do we need a change now?
Rationale for change in mentorship
As of today, the India Women’s Cricket Team has featured in 9 T20 World Cup editions and 10 ODI World Cup editions but are yet to win a title. They made the T20 semi-finals four times and played in the 2020 final, falling agonisingly short. Coaches have come and gone, but India Women’s cricket rarely progressed to the next level. In Muzumdar’s tenure, the matter is no different. Following the removal of Ramesh Powar, Muzumdar assumed the role of head coach of the India women's national cricket team on October 25, 2023. His tenure is expected to be roughly 2 years long, and his appointment will likely come to an end in next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in India in September and October.
Chances are he may be sacked well before the end of his tenure. The group stage exit will hurt India and their fans. With the next T20 World Cup on the horizon, BCCI would probably feel that an immediate change is needed to resurrect the team’s fortunes. Possible areas of change include tinkering either with the team, leadership, or the coaching staff. BCCI needs to re-evaluate how they can revamp the side before the start of the next T20 World Cup edition that will be played in front of the home crowd. The India camp is brewing with young talent, but the situation calls for a mature mentor under whom they will thrive and sharpen their competitive spirit.
Amol Muzumdar’s coaching report card
Apart from being an active servant in India’s domestic cricket, Muzumdar has been involved in the coaching circuit for quite some time now. Before his stint with the India Women’s Cricket team, he had taken up several coaching assignments for the Netherlands and South Africa’s men’s national teams and also served as a batting coach for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Under his mentorship, India Women were thoroughly outplayed by England and Australia Women in a home series last year but managed to secure impressive wins against them in the one-off Tests.
Subsequently, the Women’s team toured Bangladesh for a five-match T20I series and won that comprehensively by 5-0. Later in June, India hosted South Africa for a three-match ODI and T20I series and a one-off Test. The Blue Brigade registered a clinical clean sweep in the ODI series and won the one-off Test by 10 wickets in a one-sided affair, but the T20I series ended in a 1-1 stalemate. However, the biggest disappointment before the start of this year’s T20 World Cup came when India failed to win the Asia Cup final as Sri Lanka managed to come on top despite India’s dominating run in that competition.
While we continue to dissect Amol Muzumdar’s report card amidst the backdrop of India’s dismal campaign, we look at some of the potential options BCCI can explore to revive the team ahead of the next mega ICC event.
Probable candidates for India Women's Head Coach Role
Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami has coached the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and reportedly shares a good bond with Harmanpreet Kaur, who is the current skipper of the India Women’s team. During her stint with MI, she did remarkably well as a coach. Under her mentorship, MI won their first WPL title in 2023. The two have a better understanding and have spent a lot of time together in franchise cricket.
If Jhulan can replicate the same success with her once being drafted into the national side, then this could lift India Women’s cricket to new heights. Moreover, Jhulan has also played and shared the dressing room with some of the current crop of India female cricketers, and her guidance at the top will surely be welcomed and well-received by the players.
Mithali Raj
BCCI should certainly look to leverage Mithali Raj’s experience in the coaching arena. Although having a very accomplished career as a cricketer, Mithali also has a demonstrated track record in cricket coaching. She has been involved with Gujarat Giants (GG) as a mentor in the WPL. Despite a poor show from her side in the past two seasons, Mithali’s presence has without a doubt benefitted the Gujarat-based outfit. Her extensive work with Beth Mooney paid dividends, making her one of the most prolific run-getters for GG in the WPL.
Moreover, she has been consulted as a coach for the Indian Women’s team on several occasions. Mithali has travelled overseas for numerous cricket tours and has an understanding of global cricket standards thus making her a prime candidate to become Amol’s successor. She has also played with these players side by side, and that will go a long way in helping her shape the player's mental framework and skill set.
WV Raman
WV Raman has previously coached the India Women’s team from 2018 to 2021. This period saw the Women’s National team do well under Raman’s leadership. He is generally considered one of the shrewdest thinkers of the game, according to some leading cricket experts. It was during Raman's stint as coach that India delivered their best performance in T20 World Cup history, reaching the final of the 2020 edition, hosted by Australia.
Although Raman is now more proactively involved in broadcasting duties these days, the ex-coach could be yet another candidate, which the BCCI can benefit from. Being involved in several facets of cricket apart from coaching, Raman brings something different to the table, unlike the rest. Being an astute former cricketer, Raman has assumed several roles in the field of cricket, such as coaching, broadcasting, and journalism, which would have aided him in establishing unique perspectives on the game.
After a rude awakening in this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup, the BCCI selectors will have to make some tough calls going forward. Amidst a plethora of options to consider, Muzumdar’s tenure as the Women’s team head coach is numbered as BCCI actively continues to be on the hunt for someone far more accomplished than him. Having the presence of an India coach who has had first-hand experience monitoring these players closely can help foster improved relationships and thus drive the national women’s team towards credible growth.
Read More: Women's T20 WC 2024, IND vs AUS: Kaur's knock in vain; India wait on NZ vs PAK result for SF spot
Comentarios