Gujarat Giants batter Bharti Fulmali can become a key player for the Women in Blue.
The Women in Blue clinched the ODI World Cup a couple of months ago, and were on cloud nine! However, a different challenge awaits in the coming months in the form of a change in format. And this time, India might find their trump card in Bharti Fulmali.
The 31-year-old batter from Vidarbha has been playing for the Gujarat Giants since three seasons of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), and has shown what she is capable of. Her exploits were on display in the recent fixture against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in which she scored a 20-ball 39.
Chasing a stiff target of 183, Bharti Fulmali walked in at No.6 with the score on 63/4. She showcased her power-hitting skills, and slammed three boundaries and as many sixes to score a quickfire 39. However, it was not enough to take the Gujarat Giants over the line.
In four matches till now, Fulmali has scored 92 runs in total. But it is not the runs, but the strike-rate which stands out for the batter from Vidarbha. Fulmali has scored at a strike-rate of 191.66, which is very impressive for a lower-order batter.
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With the power-hitting skills that she has got at her disposal, there is no doubt in the fact that Bharti Fulmali can strengthen the Indian batting order. More than anything, it is her explosiveness towards the death overs which will come in handy for the side.
The 31-year-old batter has got sublime core strength and an excellent bat swing, which helps her connect the ball right where she wants it to. To add to that, she understands the knack of taking her front foot out of the way, which allows her to create room for the bat to follow.
The Indian team currently banks on Richa Ghosh to finish games for them, with someone like Harmanpreet Kaur to stay there till the end and finish games on a high. However, the inclusion of Bharti Fulmali to the setup can add a bit more strength to the setup.
To add to that, this will give the top-order the freedom to play their natural game without being overly cautious for saving their wicket. The T20 format anyways does not give enough time for the batters to settle in, and this can be a good way for the Indians to exploit their power-hitting scenarios.
The only thing India will have to figure out, is to maintain the same balance with respect to their bowling. Someone like skipper Harmanpreet will have to take the onus to bowl a few overs if required, which she has done to good effect in the past. To add to that Shafali Verma has also rolled her arm over in the WPL recently, and performed quite well.
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