Mithali Raj Makes Her Knockout Picks
As the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 gets underway in Bangladesh, former Indian captain Mithali Raj has backed four teams to reach the semi-finals: India, Australia, England and West Indies. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, she made her case with the authority of someone who spent two decades at the top of the women's game — and in doing so, drew fresh attention to wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh as one of India's most compelling young players.
Mithali, widely regarded as the finest women's batter India has produced, argued that all four sides carry the experience, squad depth and match-winners needed to come through the group stage. Her endorsement of the Indian squad carries particular weight at a time when the team is still forging its identity without her.
Background: India's Long Quest for T20 Glory
India's history with the Women's T20 World Cup is a story of promise repeatedly falling just short. Their only final came in 2020, played in Australia before a crowd of more than 86,000 at the MCG — a world record for a women's cricket match. The atmosphere was extraordinary. The result was not. Australia won, and that defeat has shadowed the programme ever since.
Since then, Indian women's cricket has changed shape. Mithali and fast bowler Jhulan Goswami have retired, clearing the way for a younger generation. Richa Ghosh has emerged as one of its most exciting figures. She made her international debut at 17, and has since built a reputation as a power-hitter of genuine quality, consistently scoring at strike rates above 130 in T20 internationals. She is now a fixture in India's lower-middle order.
The choice of Bangladesh as host also matters. It is one of the first major ICC women's events staged on the subcontinent in recent memory, and organisers hope it will drive growth in women's cricket across South Asia.
What Is Happening Now
With the group stage underway, India face a competitive pool and will need both their experienced players and their emerging ones to fire. Team management has made clear that Richa Ghosh is central to their plans — valued not just for her ability to hit the ball hard at the death, but for her work behind the stumps as well.
Mithali, speaking as a commentator and analyst, said India have the firepower to beat anyone on a given day. She acknowledged that Australia set the standard — six titles is a record no other side comes close to — but rated England's all-round balance and West Indies' unpredictable batting as serious threats. The BCCI has expressed similar confidence, having significantly increased investment in the women's programme over the past three years.
Richa Ghosh has been trending heavily on Indian social media throughout the tournament's early days. Analysts have highlighted her composure in pressure situations as a quality that could prove particularly valuable in knockout cricket, where the margins are brutally small.
Key Players: Who Could Decide the Tournament
India's campaign revolves around captain Harmanpreet Kaur, whose batting and leadership remain the team's spine. Smriti Mandhana brings elegance and consistency at the top of the order. Deepti Sharma contributes with both bat and ball. But it is Ghosh who has caught the imagination of fans and pundits. Her hitting in the lower order can shift a match within a few overs, and her glovework gives India an extra edge in the field.
Australia's batting lineup, anchored by Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, has a habit of dismantling opposition in knockout matches. England's balance is their strength — Nat Sciver-Brunt, in particular, is capable of winning games on her own. West Indies, led by the dangerous Hayley Matthews, play an aggressive brand of cricket that can unsettle any side when things click.
Mithali's four picks broadly reflect the consensus among analysts. Most expect the title to go to an established power rather than a first-time champion, though group-stage upsets are far from out of the question.
Regional and Global Implications
Hosting the tournament in Bangladesh means more than logistical organisation. For the country, it is a chance to show what they can deliver on the global stage and to put women's cricket in front of a new audience. Bangladesh women's cricket has been growing steadily, and a home World Cup offers a platform that no bilateral series can match.
Across South Asia, the tournament is being watched as a signal of where investment in women's cricket is headed. India's results will carry particular weight. A strong campaign — especially one built around young players like Ghosh — could sharpen commercial interest and boost grassroots participation from Pakistan to Sri Lanka.
At ICC level, administrators have been pushing to expand the Women's T20 World Cup and close the prize money gap with the men's game. Viewership numbers and stadium attendance from this edition are being watched closely by officials in Dubai, who see 2024 as a staging post in that longer effort.
What Comes Next
The group stage will decide which eight teams reach the knockouts. If Mithali's predictions prove correct, India, Australia, England and West Indies will be among them, setting up a potentially dramatic finish to the tournament.
India's immediate priority is topping their group, or at least finishing in the top two. A favourable knockout draw could matter enormously given the quality spread across the field.
Ghosh's performances over the coming days will be watched closely. Match-winning contributions would not only justify Mithali's confidence in the side — they could establish Ghosh as the defining face of Indian women's cricket for years to come. The semi-finals and final are scheduled for late October 2024. India have never won this tournament. That fact alone will be in the dressing room whether anyone says it out loud or not.
