The smartest team in the room needs a tougher classroom

If you are the smartest person in the room, that means you are in the wrong room because there is little left for you to learn from people who know less than you. At the Asia Cup, Indian women’s cricket has been that person for the last 22 years.

In nine editions of the tournament so far, India have reached the final every time and emerged victorious on seven occasions. Only twice have they been outsmarted — by Bangladesh in 2018 and Sri Lanka in 2024. Even then, those defeats were viewed as upsets rather than signs of the emergence of genuine challengers.

When the 10th edition of the Asia Cup begins on Friday, it is likely to once again underline the yawning gap in quality between India and others, even if Sri Lanka arrive in Dubai as defending champions.


India have sent a full-strength side — as strong a squad as injuries allowed — to reclaim the title they lost in 2024. But it is worth asking what India stand to gain from winning yet another continental trophy by beating weaker oppositions. Could India have used this opportunity to give vital exposure to younger, inexperienced players knocking on the door of the national side?

Former India captain Anjum Chopra found merit in the argument but offered a far more nuanced reasoning.

“It is a fair point in terms of the results, but the results also came because India played well. It’s what you can control,” Anjum said during an interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network on Wednesday.

“The Indian team has obviously played better cricket than others. They are looking at themselves; they are not looking at how good the opposition is. Unless you get into the ground, you don't know what the skill level of the opposition team is. Even if they are very good or not so experienced on paper, it’s [about] what happens on the ground. We have seen that. I was at the ground, and I saw it happening in front of me. I think it was in 2018 when India lost to Bangladesh. So, you don't know how it’s going to come out.”

Anjum believed the inaugural ICC Champions Trophy, to be held in Sri Lanka in February next year, could also be the reason for India choosing not to experiment too much.

“If you look at the next six months, we have the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. The Indian team is obviously looking to make a stronger impression there. It is an ICC tournament. It’s happening for the first time. And it will be played in T20 format. So, there is no point in having too many changes,” she said.

However, she agreed that less-competitive tournaments, like the Asia Cup, could be used to give opportunities to fresh talent.

“I can contradict myself here and say that if they did not have too many changes, then there is nothing changing that what happened in England,” said Anjum, highlighting India’s dismal show at the recent T20 World Cup where India failed to reach the semifinal for second time in a row.

“While I do feel that this tournament, and even in the Asian Games, India could have taken those players along who have been a part of the India A side or the emerging India side and given them at least 10 games from here till the Champions Trophy to see where they fit and pick players only for positions where they feel they require a player. If that had happened, obviously there would have been changes.

“It is not about a younger or a senior player, it is about the perfect player that they require. If they require a top order batter, please take that. If you require a middle order or a lower order player, take that. It is about the skill of the player, not the age of the player.

For India, then, the Asia Cup is not so much about proving they are the best team in Asia. The record has already established that. The more pertinent question is whether they can use their dominance to prepare for the tournaments where they are not the best team.