Amol Muzumdar hints at India Women’s T20I specialist squad: ‘Not long’

The Indian women’s cricket team has been excellent in the Test and ODI formats in recent times. Under former captain Harmanpreet Kaur, they have won four of their last five Tests, a great achievement considering only four countries play Test cricket in the women’s game. They are also the reigning Women’s ODI World Cup champions having won their maiden title almost exactly a year ago.However, their T20I game still needs improvement. India were knocked out in the league stage of the T20 World Cup in 2024 and 2026. In the shortest format, the team needs to improve on many fronts.Head coach Amol Muzumdar believes India could soon have a dedicated T20I team, similar to the men’s team, with the next generation of cricketers better equipped to meet the demands of the format. Asked how soon this could become a reality, Muzumdar replied, “Not long.”“We’re already on that journey. There’s some amazing talent coming through. The talent I’ve seen at the CoE (Centre of Excellence) where they run the India U-15 and U-19 camps is amazing. The work at the CoE is great. The camps are a good reflection of where Indian women’s cricket is at the moment,” he said in the Sportsmen’s Association magazine’s State of the Sport. Mumbai (SJAM) at MIG Club on Saturday.Muzumdar believes the next generation could accelerate this transition. Having grown up with the demands of modern T20 cricket, these players have a better understanding of the importance of nutrition, fitness and fielding.“They are in tune. They are professionals. Even the U-15 players are professionals. They understand the nutritional aspect of the game. They understand the fitness aspect of the game. They understand fielding. They are great fielders. They are good sportsmen. They understand that athleticism is key in cricket. You will soon find that when the younger generation takes over, India will be in good shape.”The coach also said that a player’s willingness to learn is as important to him as their skill. “I can see if he’s receptive. If he’s receptive, you can tell by their body language. You have to learn to understand a player’s body language. I’ve spent a few years in first-class cricket over the years and I understand that I can tell a certain player through their body language on the ground. I try to pick up on those signals. There’s always that tip of timing to get it.” to say and what to say,” he felt.Muzumdar said he is also aware of giving the players the space they need. “Sometimes you have to respect the space that the athlete wants. As a coach, you can have 10,000 things to say to that athlete. But whether it’s in that time frame or mind frame to understand what you’re doing…” he said.A year after India won their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title by defeating South Africa in the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 2, Muzumdar recalled the team spirit that marked the campaign. He owed the team’s help during the tournament to the unity of the squad and the atmosphere in the dressing room.“If I had to pinpoint just one, I think the unity in the camp and the atmosphere in the dressing room. That unity made the atmosphere in the dressing room very bright. There was a bit of a buzz in the dressing room, which I like to create,” he said.Muzumdar likened the atmosphere to the Mumbai teams he played for in the 1990s, which won the Ranji Trophy several times during that period.“I’ve played in teams like that where whenever we’ve been doing well, what I’m talking about in the 90s, when we’ve been doing well, just the atmosphere in the dressing room has been phenomenal. There’s been a kind of buzz from the kind of cricket that’s reflected on the ground. So I think if I had to pinpoint one, it’s the unity in the camp and just the buzz in the dressing room.”After working closely with Harmanpreet during his three-year tenure, Muzumdar praised the outgoing skipper and said he was looking forward to working with new skipper Smriti Mandhana.“I’ve had a great time with Harman as captain. But I’m also looking forward to the future. With the utmost respect, the way she’s handled herself as a captain, as a captain, has been great. I feel really fortunate that I’ve had that opportunity in the three years I’ve spent with her as a coach. I’ve really been able to gather the mindset of a captain… I’ve been able to gather the mindset of a leader in her myself.Muzumdar said he wants to build a culture of dominance and ruthlessness on the field in the Indian women’s team.“Dominance is something we’ve always talked about as a team. Being ruthless on the ground is another thing we’ve always maintained. I don’t know where that comes from,” he said.Much of Muzumdar’s coaching philosophy comes from his formative years in Mumbai cricket. The former home stalwart said he wants to impart these lessons to the Indian women’s team.“Obviously, from the background I come from, the kind of majority growth in Mumbai cricket was similar. I try to instill those things or bring them back. If we start dominating world cricket, I would be happy.”