From 1978 onwards till date, India has taken part in the Women’s World Cup. Over the years, several players have proved their mettle in the World Cup, leading to India qualifying for the semifinals five times (1997, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2017) and becoming runners-up twice (2005 and 2017). Here are ten such Indian cricketers.
Batting
1. Mithali Raj (1139 runs)
Having played five Women’s World Cups from 2000 to 2017, this year would be Mithali Raj’s sixth time donning the blue jersey for the World Cup. The Indian captain is just 363 runs away from becoming the highest run-scorer in Women’s World Cup history. New Zealand's Debbie Hockley leads the pack with 1501 runs in World Cups. Currently, the 39-year-old batter is placed fifth with 1139 runs and a strike rate of 54.23 and has nine half-centuries and two tons to her name.
2. Anjum Chopra (619 runs)
Former India captain Anjum Chopra is among the top run-getters for India with a total of 619 runs, scoring six half-centuries in the four Women’s World Cups she played from 1997 to 2009. She was among the top run-getters for India in the 2005 Women’s World Cup, where she was awarded the “Player of the Match” against England for scoring 64 runs(not out) and helping India win by seven wickets.
3. Anju Jain (570 runs)
Captain of the 2000 Women’s World Cup squad, wicketkeeper-batter Anju Jain has scored 570 runs for India in the four World Cups she participated in. It was under her leadership that India was able to reach the semifinals of the World Cup in 2000. However, India lost to New Zealand by nine wickets in that World Cup semifinals.
4. Harmanpreet Kaur (558 runs)
Harmanpreet Kaur holds the record for the highest score by an Indian in Women’s World Cup history, when she notched up a brilliant 171 not out (115) that helped India defeat Australia by 36 runs in the 2017 World Cup semifinals. She surpassed Australian cricketer Karen Rolton’s 107 not out, and registered the highest score in a Women’s World Cup knockout match. The batting all-rounder has played three ODI World Cups so far, and would be competing in her fourth World Cup this year.
5. Punam Raut (466 runs)
Punam Raut has played three World Cups for India from 2009 to 2017. Her best performance came up in the 2017 Women’s World Cup match against Australia, where she scored 106 runs. However, she was unable to win the game as the Aussies defeated India by eight wickets.
Bowling
1. Jhulan Goswami (36 wickets)
India seamer Jhulan Goswami needs four wickets to become the leading wicket-taker in Women's World Cup history. She currently sits fourth on the list with 36 wickets in 28 matches. Having played four World Cups, Jhulan has two four-wicket hauls with an economy rate of 3.25. Goswami also requires four catches to surpass Jan Brittin for most catches in the tournament's history.
2. Diana Edulji (31 wickets)
Diana Edulji captained the Indian team that headed for the 1978 and 1993 World Cups. Her best bowling performance came against England in the 1993 World Cup, where she scalped four wickets of opener Helen Plimmer, Janet Godman, Jane Smit and England captain Karen Smithies by giving away just 12 runs. Eventually, India lost the match by three runs, but Diana had accumulated 31 wickets in her World Cup career from 1978 to 1993.
3. Purnima Rau (30 wickets)
Purnima Rau made her cricket debut for India against West Indies in the 1993 World Cup match on 20 July. In her debut World Cup, she took a four-wicket haul (4/26) to restrict New Zealand for 154/8. However, India failed to chase the target and lost by 42 runs. In the three World Cups she has participated, she took a total of 30 wickets with an economy rate of 2.86.
4. Neetu David (30 wickets)
Neetu David became the first Indian to reach the 100 wicket mark in ODIs during a 2005 World Cup match against West Indies. She picked up three for 11 in the match which helped India win by eight wickets. Her best bowling figures in World Cups are 5 for 32 against New Zealand during the 2005 World Cup, keeping a check on the team at 184/9. In response, India collapsed and scored 168/9 to lose the match by 16 runs. By the end of her third World Cup in 2005, she had taken 30 wickets in World Cup out of which 20 came in the last tournament.
5. Amita Sharma (25 wickets)
In her first World Cup in 2005, Amita Sharma picked up 14 wickets and helped India through to the finals. One of her noteworthy performances is here 3/12 that helped India win by nine wickets against Ireland. She was awarded the “Player of the Match” for that game. In the three World Cups she participated from 2005 to 2013, she scalped 25 wickets.
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