Sophie Ecclestone, woh left-arm spinner jo thodi si chhutti ke baad wapas aa rahi hai, team mein shamil hai. Nat Sciver-Brunt captain hain, aur unke saath Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones aur Issy Wong jaise bade naam bhi hain. Waise, yeh England wali team apne aap ko bahut bada samajhti hai, jaise unke paas hi cricket ka patent ho. Par thodi der ruko, kya yeh itna aasan hoga? India ke paas bhi toh Harmanpreet Kaur aur Smriti Mandhana jaise dhaansu khiladi hain, jo kisi bhi team ka band baja sakti hain.
England ka yeh squad dekhkar lagta hai jaise woh apni purani jeeton ke ghamand mein doobi hui hai. 2023 mein India ke khilaf T20I series 2-1 se jeeti thi unhone, jab Nat Sciver-Brunt aur Sophie Ecclestone ne mila kar India ke batsmen ko naak mein dam kar diya tha. Par ab baat alag hai. India ki team bhi koi doodh peeti bacchi nahi hai. Shafali Verma, jo Women’s Premier League 2025 mein 304 runs ke saath chhaye rahi, wapas T20I team mein hai. Uska woh aggressive andaaz, jo bowlers ke hosh udata hai, England ke liye bada sar dard ban sakta hai. Aur phir Harmanpreet Kaur, jinka naam hi bowlers ke dil mein darr paida karta hai. Yaad hai 2017 Women’s World Cup ka semi-final? Harmanpreet ne Australia ke khilaf 171* runs thok kar India ko final mein pahunchaya tha. Aisi innings khelne ka dum rakhti hai woh.
Ab thodi si baat England ke naye squad ki. Sophie Ecclestone ki wapsi badi baat hai. X par posts ke mutabik, usne thodi si chhutti li thi apni quadriceps injury aur mental health ke liye. Ab woh wapas hai, aur uski spin bowling India ke liye mushkil paida kar sakti hai. Par yeh mat bhulo ki India ke paas Deepti Sharma jaisi world-class spinner hai, jo 2024 Tri-Series mein Sri Lanka ke khilaf final mein 3 wickets le chuki hai. Deepti ka off-spin aur batting dono hi England ke liye chunauti honge. Aur phir Richa Ghosh, woh wicketkeeper-batter jiska strike rate T20 mein hamesha bowlers ko rula deta hai. England ke paas Amy Jones hai, par Richa ka jawab nahi.
Yeh series sirf ek cricket match nahi, balki ek bada mauka hai dono teams ke liye. 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup England mein hi hoga, aur yeh series uski taiyaari ke liye perfect hai. India ke liye yeh mauka hai apne aap ko ek underdog se champion tak le jane ka. England shayad rankings mein thodi upar ho, par India ka dil bada hai. Smriti Mandhana ka elegance aur Shafali ka junoon mila kar England ke bowlers ko pareshan kar sakta hai. Aur yaad rakhna, India ne 2023 mein England ke khilaf Test match mein 347 runs se jeet hasil ki thi, jo women’s Test cricket mein sabse bada margin tha. Yeh team jab form mein hoti hai, toh kisi ko bhi hara sakti hai.
Trent Bridge se shuru hokar Bristol, The Oval, Old Trafford aur Edgbaston tak, yeh series bade-bade venues par kheli jayegi. Crowd ka josh aur dono teams ka passion is series ko yaadgaar bana dega. India ke paas ek nayi energy hai, jaise Kranti Gaud aur Sayali Satghare, jo apna pehla T20I khelne ke liye taiyaar hain. Yeh naye chehre England ke liye unexpected dhamaka kar sakte hain. England ke paas experience hai, par India ke paas woh jazba hai jo matches jeetata hai. 2005 Ashes yaad hai? Jab England ne Australia ko hara kar sabko hairan kar diya tha? India bhi aisa hi kuch kar sakti hai.
Lekin thodi si satarkta bhi zaroori hai. England ka ghar, unka mausam, aur unka confident squad India ke liye asaan nahi hoga. Nat Sciver-Brunt, jo Women’s Premier League 2025 mein top run-scorer thi, India ke bowlers ke liye bada challenge hai. Aur phir Lauren Bell aur Lauren Filer jaise pacers, jo English conditions mein aur bhi khatarnak ho jati hain. India ke batsmen ko inka saamna karne ke liye apna A-game lana hoga. Waise bhi, India ka England mein T20I record kuch khaas nahi raha hai. Aksar yeh team bade maukon par fisal jati hai, jaise 2022 Commonwealth Games mein bronze medal match mein Australia se haar gayi thi. Kya yeh series bhi aisa hi kuch dekhne ko milega?
