Commonwealth Games 2022: 5 star players who can guide India Women to a maiden gold medal

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian women's cricket team has finally landed in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games, which gets underway on Thursday (July 28).

Team India are in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Australia, and Barbados. They will kick-start their campaign against Meg Lanning’s World Cup champions Australia on Friday, July 29.

Here's everything you need to know about the Commonwealth Games 2022 medal tally.

The Women in Blue are expected to put their best foot forward and make the India proud among the countries at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

In this listicle, we take a look at five star players who can guide the Indian women's team to success in their quest for a maiden gold medal at the iconic event.

#1 Harmanpreet Kaur

Harmanpreet Kaur in action during the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match against South Africa. (Getty Images)

Team India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is expected to lead from the front in India’s quest for gold at the prestigious event. At 33, she is one of the most experienced players in the team.

Harmanpreet is known for her all-around abilities on the field and can change the game on her own. She was excellent against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded white-ball series. She smashed 75 runs and took one wicket in the third ODI as India completed a 3-0 whitewash.

The allrounder is expected to rise to the challenge and help India achieve glory at the Commonwealth Games.

#2 Smriti Mandhana

India will rely on Smriti Mandhana for great starts at the 2022 CWG. (Getty Images)

Smriti Mandhana is a stylish and gifted opener with 14 half-centuries to her name in the shortest format. She has done remarkably well for India across formats.

The 26-year-old had recently slammed an unbeaten 94 runs against Sri Lanka in the second ODI. Mandhana (84 innings) is also the second-fastest Indian woman to reach 2,000 T20 runs after Mithali Raj (70).

Mandhana will look to be consistent and continue her exploits throughout the Games. She is expected to play big innings and provide the perfect platform for India's middle order to showcase their skills.

#3 Jemimah Rodrigues

A vital cog in Indian women's cricket, Jemimah Rodrigues is an excellent middle-order batter. She is coming off the back of some impressive performances in the Women’s T20 Challenge and Sri Lanka series. Jemimah emerged as the second-highest run scorer for India in the T20I series against Sri Lanka Women.

Like Harmanpreet and Mandhana, Jemimah brings a wealth of experience of playing in overseas T20 leagues like the Women's Big Bash League (BBL), Women's Super League, and The Hundred Women's Competition.

The 21-year-old is expected to live up to her potential in the Commonwealth Games. She remains crucial to Team India's success at the iconic event.

#4 Shafali Verma

Once Shafali Verma gets going, it's tough for the opposition to stop her. (Getty Images)

One of the more explosive batters in modern-day cricket, Shafali Verma has made a name for herself in international cricket. The 18-year-old makes heads turn with her performances, wherever she plays.

Shafali has the ability to hit boundaries at will and possesses the firepower to give India a solid start. The youngster was on top of her game against the Sri Lanka Women in the ODI series where she finished as the highest run scorer with 155 runs at an average of 77.5.

A nightmare for any opposition, Verma is expected to emulate her recent success in Birmingham.

#5 Pooja Vastrakar

Pooja Vastrakar's rise in India women's cricket is nothing less than a fairytale (Getty Images0

Coming from the small town of Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh, Pooja Vastrakar first rose to fame when played a match-winning knock for India Women in the T20 World Cup against Pakistan. She has not looked back since.

The 22-year-old all-rounder is known for her right-arm medium-fast bowling with the ability to pick up wickets upfront.

Vastrakar has also added batting to her armory to make a strong case for her place in the playing XI. She played vital knocks of an unbeaten 21 and 56 in the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka.