5 players who might get dropped from national team after Women’s T20 World Cup 2023

Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Katherine Brunt. (Photo Source: MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images)

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 culminated on February 26. The T20 carnival in South Africa was a closely contested tournament as even the top-ranked teams felt the heat and due to this, fans witnessed some absolute nail-biters. After over two weeks of some exciting cricket, Australia conquered South Africa in the final showdown to clinch their sixth world T20 title.

The marquee tournament saw many players stamping their authority on the cricket field. However, there were some who were dismal with their performances. Further, they were certain cricketers featured in the T20 extravaganza who are in the final stages of their international careers. These international stars might not find a place in the national team going forward.

5. Anushka Sanjeewani

Anushka Sanjeewani is one of the dependable wicketkeepers in the Sri Lankan cricketing circle. She is sharp with her glovework and has earned a lot of praise for the same in the international arena. However, the 33-year-old has failed to perform with the bat.

Sanjeewani has featured in 22 matches for Sri Lanka in the 50-over format and has managed to score only 282 runs at an average of 12.81. Talking about the T20Is, the Galle-born has scored only 491 runs in 51 matches at a poor average of 13.63.

Sanjeewani was Sri Lanka’s premier wicketkeeper-batter in the T20 World Cup 2023 but she failed to impress with her performances. She played four games in the competition and could only score 14 runs in four games at a strike rate of 58.33. Anushka might be dropped from the team following her dismal outings.

4. Bernadine Bezuidenhout

Bernadine Bezuidenhout is one of the finest wicketkeepers going around in New Zealand’s cricketing circles. Though she has been brilliant with the gloves, the Kimberly-born has not been able to set the international circuit on fire with her batting exploits.

Bernadine has made 13 appearances for the national side in the 50-over format and has managed to score only 125 runs at an average of 13.88. When it comes to the T20Is, the wicketkeeper-batter has accumulated only 193 runs in 20 matches at a strike rate of 107.22.

Bernadine featured in the T20 World Cup 2023 but was quite inconsistent with her performances. Though the right-handed batter showed glimpses of brilliance in the encounter against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, she stuttered against the top-ranked sides. Bezuidenhout could only manage 90 runs in four games at the high-profile competition.

Given Bernadine has been able to crack the code in the international arena thus far, her place in the side could be in jeopardy. The team management might drop her in the coming T20I assignment of the White Ferns.

3. Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Rajeshwari Gayakwad has been a proven performer for India across formats. She has featured in 64 ODIs and bagged 99 wickets at an economy of 3.63. Coming to the shortest format, the ace spinner has picked up 58 wickets in 55 games at an economy of 6.22.

Over the years, Gayakwad has been India’s partnership-breaker in the middle phases of the innings. However, she has been a pale shadow of her classic self of late. In the T20 extravaganza in South Africa, the 31-year-old had a miserable campaign and failed to make any impact with the ball.

Gayakwad featured in four games in the marquee event and was not able to get even a single wicket. Following her poor showings, the Bijapur-born was dropped from the playing XI for the semi-clash against Australia. It can be a sign of things to come and the Indian spinner might not find a place in the squad in India’s upcoming T20I assignments.

2. Shakera Selman

Shakera Selman has been a bankable name in the international arena. She has featured in 100 ODIs and bagged 82 wickets at an economy of 3.64. Talking about the shortest format, the veteran pacer has picked up 51 wickets in 96 matches at an economy of 5.85.

Selman has been a mainstay of the West Indies’ bowling line-up for over a decade. However, she has not been at her best in the last couple of years. Since 2021, the Barbados-born has featured in 14 games in the shortest format and has taken only three wickets.

Selman brings a wealth of experience to the side and thus, West Indies included her in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2023. However, the ace pacer was wicketless in the two games she played. Aged 33, Selman is at the twilight of her career and the numbers indicate that she is not at the peak of her powers. Therefore, the team management might look to move past her going forward.

1. Katherine Sciver-Brunt

Katherine Sciver-Brunt has been a prominent figure in world cricket. She has bagged 170 wickets in 141 ODIs at an economy of 3.57 and scored 1090 runs in those outings. In the T20Is, the bowling all-rounder has picked up 114 wickets in 112 games at an economy of 5.57 and scored 590 runs at a strike rate of 113.24.

Brunt has been a tone-setter with the new ball, providing her side with early wickets. Also, she has been a vital contributor with the bat slotting in lower down the order. The Barnsley-born did a decent job with the ball in the T20 carnival in South Africa and bagged four wickets in five games at an economy of 7.53.

However, one might ponder whether the 38-year-old might have already played her last T20I game. Brunt retired from the longest format of the game in June last year and recently has indicated that the marquee event in South Africa was her last World Cup appearance. Thus, one might not witness Katherine donning the national colours in the shortest format in the future.