"Reached a stage where reaching the knockouts is not enough" - Mithali Raj on Indian women's team winning ICC events

Legendary batter Mithali Raj believes it's high time that the Indian women's team should start winning ICC trophies. The comments were made a couple of days before Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. begin their ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 campaign in South Africa.

The closest the Women in Blue came to winning the ICC tournament was back in 2017 when they lost to England Women by nine runs in the final at Lord's.

Mithali, who was captain of that Indian team, reckoned that expectations of winning an ICC title would only increase, given that they are getting every facility now.

"Yes. We have reached a stage where reaching the knockouts is not enough," she told Indian Express. "If you were to compare ourselves with the rest of the world other than Australia and England or even New Zealand, there are other teams who are at a stage where we were a few years back.

"If we are getting all the facilities — hike in match fees, getting the camps we require, and going early to acclimatize, then yes. The expectations will once increase. People will not be content with just playing the semi-finals and final. They will be expected to win."

India have consistently reached the knockout rounds but have struggled to win pressure games. They recently lost the tri-series final against South Africa Women by five wickets at Buffalo Park.

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"We have not really arrived there yet" - Mithali Raj on India being at par with England and Australia

Women's cricket has mostly been dominated by England and Australia, with India, South Africa, and New Zealand posing a threat on rare occasions.

When asked if India are at par with heavyweights England and Australia, Mithali stated that the Women in Blue are still not there. However, she thinks India will reach there in the coming years, depending on how the Women's Premier League (WPL) pans out.

"I would say (long think and a pause)," she continued. "We have not really arrived there yet, but maybe in terms of standards, yes. But overall, in a couple of years with the WPL coming in, we would.

"Those countries have their leagues in place (Women’s Big Bash and The Hundred)," Mithali continued. "Somewhere, whoever comes in as a replacement, they are equally good in terms of bench strength. We are not entirely there, but we will eventually get there in a year or two depending upon how WPL starts to roll."

The WPL auction is slated to take place in Mumbai on Monday, February 13. The tournament will be played between March 4 and 26 at the Brabourne Stadium and the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

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