Indian Women Cricketers Whose Stardom Faded Too Soon

(India Women’s cricket team in the World Cup)

In the Indian cricket team, several players were available to play a few games but then faded into the background or weren't seen playing international cricket again. These women showcased promising talent to the fans but didn't last long on the team for some reason. Some of the players made an international appearance but were unable to perform their best, resulting in them fading away from the spotlight. These stories of Indian Women cricketers show the fans about the competitions and challenges faced by them in the international format. Although the fans won't be knowing some of the names, these women cricketers have represented the India Women's cricket team in the international format for a few games. Their contributions towards the team show that the journey towards an international format is unpredictable and that consistent performances are important. Let's have a look at some of the Indian women cricketers who faded away after a few games.

1. Devika Vaidya

Playing for Maharashtra Women in the domestic tournaments, Devika Vaidya had the opportunity to make her debut for the India Women's cricket team in 2014. During the South Africa tour of India, Devika made her debut, but the match didn't go as she had expected. She didn't come out to bat and even conceded 30 runs in just 3 overs, which made the selectors question her performance. Her performances in the Women's T20I have not been great, as she took 10 wickets in 14 innings and scored 90 runs in 8 at a strike rate of 98.90.

(Devika Vaidya making a comeback to the Indian team during the year 2017)

However, Devika Vaidya played some remarkable innings for the India Women's team, scoring 179 runs in 8 and taking 12 wickets in 11. She was also a part of the Asian Games team, which won the gold medal. Devika played in one WPL season for the UP Warriorz, but since the Asian Games, she has not been found playing games for the national side.

2. Sneh Rana

Sneh Rana made her debut for the India Women's cricket team in the year 2014, in both Women's ODI and T20I formats. She had a good start to her career, performing well with both bat and ball against Sri Lanka in her debut series. Unfortunately, she suffered an ankle injury in 2016, preventing her from joining the India Women's cricket team for the next five years. Although she could play domestic cricket for Railways Women, the national coaches and selectors decided to give her some time to regain her form.

(Sneh Rana after taking a wicket in the Test match against England Women)

However, Sneh Rana made her comeback in the international format during the year 2021, when she was selected for the one-off Test match against England Women. She impressed the coaches by scoring 82 runs in 2 innings and taking 4 wickets in the game. In the Women's ODI format, Rana has played 27 matches and secured 29 wickets at an economy of 4.62, but her wicket-taking ability is less in the T20I format, due to which it has been time since the fans have seen her perform for the India Women's team.

3. Mona Meshram

Mona Meshram is another impressive talent who played for the India Women's cricket team for a few years but then faded away. She started off her career by playing for Railways Women and got the opportunity to debut for the India Women's cricket team in the year 2012. Her debut wasn't impressive as she didn't receive the chance to bat in the initial matches, and when she came out to bat, she struggled to score runs.

(Mona Meshram playing against Australia Women)

However, Mona Meshram played several good innings for the team also, due to which she has scored 352 runs in 21 Women's ODI innings, and 125 runs in 9 Women's T20I innings. The only problem that caused the selectors to drop Mona Meshram was her low strike rate, even in the shorter format of the game. However, Mona Meshram was still able to impress various fans with her ability to stabilise the team's innings after the top-order batters failed to perform well.

4. Mansi Joshi

Mansi Joshi has been one of the most economical bowlers for the India Women’s team across the Women’s ODI format. She made her debut for the team in the Women’s ODI format during the year 2017 and in the Women’s T20I format during the year 2016. In her debut ODI match against Ireland Women, Mansi Joshi was not able to take wickets but also didn’t allow the opponent batsmen to score either. She conceded 21 runs in 8 overs with two maidens.

(Mansi Joshi bowling for India Women’s team)

In her Women’s ODI career, Joshi took 16 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 3.97 runs per over. But her performance in the Women’s T20I was not up to the mark, taking just 3 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 7.04 runs per over. Lack of consistency in the shorter format of the game resulted in Mansi Joshi playing her last Women’s T20I game in the year 2019, where she went wicketless at an economy of 3.75.

5. Priya Punia

Priya Punia made her debut for the India Women's team in the series against New Zealand in the year 2018. Being a top-order batter, Priya Punia showcased some commendable performances, which helped her make her debut in the Women's ODI format in 2019. In her first match against South Africa Women, Priya Punia scored 75 runs in 124 balls, which helped her to be crowned as the Player of the Match in her debut Women's ODI match.

(Priya Punia playing against South Africa Women)

Throughout her ODI career, Priya Punia scored 242 runs in just 9 matches with two half-centuries at a strike rate of 57.48. The lower strike rate not only in the ODI format but also in the T20I format, became a challenge for Priya Punia, due to which she was dropped from the team. However, her potential in the Women's ODI format to play a settled innings could help her to get back to the international side.