With the first match of India women tour of England 2025 less than a week away, India is fully focused and putting in the hard yards during practice sessions. In a recent practice session, head coach Amol Muzumdar introduced a team bonding activity that focused on range hitting. In a video posted on the BCCI Women’s X account (formerly Twitter), Muzumdar is seen explaining the rules for the six-hitting challenge.
The first rule was that each batter would face three balls, and the umpire, head coach Amol Muzumdar himself, would have the final say. The range for hitting sixes was from long-off to deep mid-wicket. Finally, the player hitting the longest six would take her team home and win the challenge.
The team was divided into three groups of five players each. Team A included skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, power-hitting wicket keeper Richa Ghosh, Radha Yadav, and youngsters Sayali Satghare and Sree Charni. The second team featured flamboyant opener Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Yastika Bhatia, all-rounder Sneh Rana, and Kranti Goud. The final group comprised big hitters like Shafali Verma and Amanjot Kaur, along with middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues and all-rounders Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy.
The challenge began with Richa Ghosh coming in for Team A, followed by the captain. Both Richa and Harmanpreet were seen demonstrating their power to hit sixes.
Harleen was next from Group B smashed a massive six. The captain was quick to joke that it wouldn’t count, claiming it was just a trial, according to Deol. Harmanpreet and Richa playfully called it cheating, sparking laughter all around. Yastika and Smriti followed, showcasing their flair with some clean sixes. Smriti, meanwhile, faced some friendly sledging from her teammates as the entire group enjoyed the fun-filled session.
For Team C, Deepti struck a full toss quite far. Jemimah followed, stepping out to drive the ball straight down the ground for an impressive hit. Then came aggressive opener Shafali Verma, prompting Mandhana to say, “Now it’s game over; no one is hitting it farther than her.” And within just two or three balls, she proved her vice-captain and opening partner right by hitting the longest six. That shot sealed the win for Group C in the range-hitting challenge.
This team bonding session lightened the mood and also helped the players practise and polish their range-hitting skills. June 28 (Saturday), the Women in Blue will take on England at Trent Bridge Stadium in the first match of the series.
India Women tour of England 2025, Series Schedule:
1st T20I – June 28 – Nottingham (7:00 PM IST)
2nd T20I – July 01 – Bristol (11:00 PM IST)
3rd T20I – July 04 – The Oval (11:05 PM IST)
4th T20I – July 09 – Manchester (11:00 PM IST)
5th T20I – July 12 – Birmingham (11:05 PM IST)
1st ODI – July 16 – Southampton (5:30 PM IST)
2nd ODI – July 19 – Lord’s (3:30 PM IST)
3rd ODI – July 22 – Chester-le-Street (5:30 PM IST)
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