‘Mentally stronger' Sneh Rana eyes World Cup after record-breaking India return

India Today

17-05-2025

The world seemed like a beautiful place for India's Sneh Rana when she became only the second Indian bowler, after Neetu David, to take eight wickets in a Women's Test innings - achieving the feat during the only Test against Laura Wolvaardt's South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai last year.However, limited-overs cricket told a different story. Rana lost her place in the ODI team following India's home series against Australia in December 2023. Earlier that year, she was dropped from the T20I squad after India's exit in the T20 World Cup semis in South Africa. To add to her woes, she went unsold in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 auction after being released by the Gujarat Giants.advertisementThe stars have begun to align for 31-year-old Rana in 2025. In February, she earned a contract with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after 2024 Purple Cap winner Shreyanka Patil was sidelined due to injury. In five matches, Rana claimed six wickets at an economy rate of 8.22, with best figures of 3/26 against the UP Warriorz.
Sneh Rana became the Player of the Match in the Sri Lanka tri-series. Courtesy: PTI
However, it was her explosive batting performance against the Warriorz in Lucknow that grabbed headlines. Smashing 26 runs off just six balls, she struck at an astonishing strike rate of 433.33 - second only to Chloe Tryon's 457.14 against India in 2018 amongst Women's T20 innings of 25 or more runs. While RCB lost the match, Rana etched her name into the WPL record books with the most runs scored in a single over, taking the attack to Deepti Sharma.advertisementAfter making her WPL comeback for the 2024 champions, she became unstoppable. She earned an ODI recall after nearly a year and a half and justified her selection by becoming the Player of the Series in the tri-nation tournament in Sri Lanka. In five matches, Rana took 15 wickets at an economy rate of 4.73.She claimed her maiden five-wicket haul in a crucial match, helping India snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against South Africa. Rana finished with figures of 10-0-43-5, pulling India out after the 140-run opening stand between Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits with the Proteas chasing 277. She also impressed with a four-wicket haul in the final, where India defeated Sri Lanka by 97 runs.
Sneh Rana took an 8-wicket haul in India's Only Test against South Africa last year. Courtesy: PTI
Rana broke Nooshin Al Khadeer's 22-year-old record (14) for the most wickets in a single triangular and quadrangular ODI series. She also shined as a captain, leading India D to victory in the Senior Women's multi-day Challenger Trophy, taking 11 wickets in three games, including a five-wicket haul.advertisementOn Thursday, Rana's joy doubled as she marked her T20I comeback after more than two years, having last played in the T20 World Cup in South Africa. The gritty all-rounder from Uttarakhand earned a place in the national squad for the upcoming tour of England.In the meantime, Rana spoke to India Today Digital about her fairytale return to the Indian team in Sri Lanka, her experience playing for RCB in the WPL, and her preparations for the England tour.Here are some excerpts from Indian women's all-rounder Sneh Rana's interviewWPL deal with RCB, ODI comeback after nearly one and a half years, and now a T20I comeback after two years — how has life been lately?Yes, I am feeling so glad right now. As you mentioned, the T20 team has just been announced, and I also just got to know about it — like just a minute ago. So I'm glad that I'm back in the T20s. And the past two months, I mean... they were very crucial for me because the One Day World Cup is right around the corner. And I've also performed well.advertisementIf you look at the past two months' stats — as you said, WPL started, and the way I performed for RCB stood out. Then there was the Sri Lanka series, and in between, I also did really well in domestic cricket, where we won the trophy. So overall, the past two months have been really good.Is the Sri Lanka tri-series the best you have bowled so far in your ODI career?Ah, if I talk stats-wise, yes, it is the best series so far.
Sneh Rana made her T20I comeback after more than two years. Courtesy: PTI
How would you differentiate between the Sneh Rana who got dropped after December 2023 and the Sneh Rana who tore apart opponents in Sri Lanka?There isn't really any major difference as such. I would say that I've become a bit mentally stronger. Like, if we talk about the past two years — 2023 and now it's 2025 — so I've been persistent. Apart from that, I wouldn't say there's been any drastic change.advertisementWith South Africa scoring 140 by the 28th over in the second game, what was going through your mind with India under such extreme pressure?So when you're on the field, your mindset is always about how you can get a breakthrough for your team. At that time, when there was such a long partnership — and it was justified, because if you look at some of the conditions, they were favorable for the batters — the only thing on my mind was to get the first breakthrough. After that, we knew we could make a comeback in the match. So in that moment, the only focus is on how quickly you can take a wicket — it's just all about the wicket while playing.
Sneh Rana played in the ODI World Cup 2022 in New Zealand. Courtesy: PTI
In a generation where leg-spinners are gradually taking prominence, how big a role do you believe finger spinners play in the game? See, I believe that both have their own significance. If you look at wrist spinners and finger spinners, it's very difficult to compare. Both — if we talk about quality — are different in their own ways. Finger spin is also an art. And if you look at wrist spin, I believe that wrist spinners are... you know, it's very difficult to spin the ball using the wrist — being a wrist spinner is tough. So both have their own unique qualities and both play a very important role in their own ways.advertisementHaving already played in the ODI World Cup in 2022, how are you planning to shift the experience to the newer players? Whenever a youngster enters the team, our role is to share whatever we've gained in our career so far — whether it's experience or knowledge. The knowledge we have about the pitch, the weather conditions — our motive is always to pass that on to the new players coming in, because they usually aren't very familiar with these conditions, especially in foreign countries. So our aim is to share the experience we've gained while playing abroad with them.Do you feel Sneh Rana, the batter, has more to offer to the Indian team? I believe that as an all-rounder, Sneh Rana has a very important role. Not just as a batter or a bowler, but as an all-rounder. And definitely, whenever the team needs me, I will always try to deliver my best.
Sneh Rana played for RCB in WPL 2025. Courtesy: PTI
How was the experience of playing under Smriti Mandhana and alongside Ellyse Perry at RCB? I have played under Smriti before as well — when she was doing on-field captaincy in Harman ji's absence, and even recently in the WPL, I played under her. She is very calm and knows exactly what works in which situation. She's very clear with her plans and has a lot of experience. She reads conditions really well and shares that knowledge with us too — what will work in a particular situation and what won't.And since you mentioned Ellyse Perry — she's a player everyone wants to watch. Her work ethic is outstanding. She's a great team player and an exceptional athlete. What I admire most about her is her work ethic. So yes, she has a lot of experience, and with Australia currently being the number one team in the ICC rankings, the experience she brings is something to learn from. I had the chance to talk to her recently during the WPL, and it felt really good speaking with her.In one of the games against UP Warriorz, you almost took RCB home. Did you have any regrets after not being able to win the game? Look, if there were more balls, maybe I would have lasted till the end. But as everyone knows, we needed a lot of runs and we had very limited balls left. At that time, that shot was required, and although the ball hit the middle of the bat, unfortunately, it was caught—it didn't go over the rope. There are no regrets, but definitely a lot of learning.Pure Entertainment! #RCB fell short of the but Sneh Rana's fantastic cameo took the game down to the wire!Updates https://t.co/pXDVY3MCgZ #TATAWPL | #UPWvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/Y37Z1dVeco— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 8, 2025What's the cultural difference between playing for RCB and the Gujarat Giants? The biggest difference is definitely the fan following of RCB. It's massive, and that's probably why they're called the 'Twelfth Army.' So when you play for RCB, you're not just playing for your franchise — you're playing for millions of fans as well. I think that's the main difference compared to any other franchise.Do you think that the experience of playing in England in 2021 might help you in your T20I comeback?If I talk about it, it's been about four years since 2021. So now, pitch conditions might be a little different, and the surroundings are a bit different too. The experience I've gained since 2021, along with all the cricket I've played — domestic and WPL — I think that experience will help me a lot when I go to England. And whatever practice sessions we have there, I think they will give me even more clarity.Must Watch