India Is Out Due To Missed Opportunities

India’s early exit from the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup has been a result of their own shortcomings, despite hopes for a lifeline from Pakistan. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team faced several issues, including a lack of competitive match practice before the tournament, inconsistency at the crucial No. 3 spot, and overreliance on their captain.

On Monday, after Pakistan failed to chase New Zealand’s modest 111-run target within 11 overs, India’s semi-final hopes were officially dashed. Pakistan, despite giving India a glimmer of hope by restricting New Zealand to a low score, could not capitalise, collapsing for just 56 runs — their lowest total in T20I history. However, India’s own performance left much to be desired.

India's preparation was questioned as they opted for training camps instead of competitive matches in the lead-up to the tournament. Their opening game against New Zealand, a virtual knockout, saw India unprepared for the UAE conditions. With batting collapses and questionable selections, including constant changes at No. 3 and an unbalanced line-up, India struggled.

Despite standout performances from Harmanpreet Kaur, the team’s campaign ended under the lights in Dubai, marking their first failure to reach the semi-finals since 2016. After three successive semi-finals or finals appearances, India's 2024 performance highlighted a step back, disappointing fans and raising questions about the team's strategy.