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The Women's Asia Cup 2022 is set to commence in Sylhet, Bangladesh on Saturday, October 1, and India will lock horns with Sri Lanka in their tournament opener on the same day.
India are the most successful outfit in the Women's Asia Cup, having clinched the title a record six times. Having bagged a silver at the Commonwealth Games and then sweeping the ODI series 3-0 in England, the Women in Blue will be keen to keep their good run of form going.
They did lose the T20I rubber to England by a 2-1 margin, but it's fair to say that India will start the Women's Asia Cup as favorites.
A few select players in the Indian core will play a massive role in defining how far they go in the Women's Asia Cup.
Here's a look at three of them who will have a huge say in the competition.
#3 Renuka Singh Thakur
It's almost poetic that as Jhulan Goswami has walked into the sunset of her career, Renuka Singh Thakur has sprung into contention as a potential successor. With the ability to move the ball back in and use the crease to great effect, she has broken games open at will for India in both white-ball formats.
Having topped the wicket-taking charts at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Renuka extended her purple patch into the series against England, bagging eight scalps across the last two ODIs.
While the surfaces in Sylhet could well aid spin, her prowess with the new ball will be equally pivotal in India walking the talk at the Women's Asia Cup.
#2 Smriti Mandhana
Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is one of the best batters in the world and there are no two ways about that. This year has been a dream year for the southpaw, having amassed 338 runs in 11 T20Is and 696 runs from 15 ODIs.
In many ways, there's a correlation and causation between Mandhana's returns and the Women in Blue coming out on the right side of the result. Needless to say, it should continue in much the same manner should the stylish opening batter continue her rich vein of form.
She will have a defining role in how far the team progresses in the Women's Asia Cup.
#1 Harmanpreet Kaur
From managing her resources to finishing the innings in grand fashion, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is arguably the most valuable player in this current setup. Her unbeaten 143 off 111 deliveries in the second ODI against England earlier this month was further testament to her prowess as a box office batter.
She might also have a bit of bowling to do given that the conditions could aid spin. Much like Mandhana, the Indian team generally does well when Harmanpreet is firing on all cylinders. Expect none of it to change come the Women's Asia Cup, should the team go the distance for a record seventh time.
Also read: Women's Asia Cup 2022: 3 reasons why it could be a big tournament for Shafali Verma
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