A lot of sniping and griping, and a bunch of stars, if recent evidence is anything to go by. And if that is the takeaway after a World T20 where the team made the semi-final for the first time since 2010, where the first T20I century by an Indian woman was scored, where three Indians made it to the team of the tournament, it is a sad, but irrefutable, indictment of where the team is.

A quick catch-up of the off-field drama: India dropped Mithali Raj, the highest run-getter in ODIs, for their semi-final against England. This after two Player of the Match awards in as many innings. Possibly that decision, and most definitely some others on the field, saw India lose, poorly, and crash out. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur defended the XI while offering little explanation and “no regrets”.

Right from the grass roots, insecurity is a constant for an Indian cricketer, who has to deal with the vagaries of selection. For women and girls, without a club structure, without the weight of runs through an IPL or age-group level, and with selection happening out of the public eye, there is not often clarity of what is expected of them. This is not an easy mindset to cast off without a systemic revamp. And the events of the past month do little to shed light on that.

Until recently, the challenges for a woman playing cricket were different. Now, with more fame and fortune, there is a lot to gain, and more to lose. Professionalism comes with demands of accountability. Cricket, now more and more, is as much about what is above the shoulders that swing hard and far.

In the immediate future, one thing that should help the Indian team is a psychologist. In the long run, they need introspection about what they stand for. This World T20 team, with an average age of 24, is as good a place as any to start.