Harmanpreet Kaur has been rested for India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland Women. Renuka Singh Thakur has also been given a break as the selectors announced a 15-member squad.
The India Women’s skipper has had a few niggles in the recent past. Kaur played with a shoulder and neck injury for a large part of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. She sustained a knee niggle during the T20I series against West Indies and subsequently missed a couple of games.
Smriti Mandhana will lead in Kaur’s absence. The left-handed opener has been the vice-captain for a long time now and has stepped in whenever needed. Deepti Sharma has been named as the vice-captain of the side.
Pooja Vastrakar is still undergoing rehabilitation and hasn’t played since the Women’s T20 World Cup in October. Meanwhile, Shafali Verma and Arundhati Reddy continue to be ignored. Verma was dropped owing to poor form in the 50-over format but Reddy has been a consistent performer and her omission continues to be perplexing.
Tejal Hasabnis makes a comeback to the squad. The 27-year-old made her debut against New Zealand in October last year and scored 57 runs in three games. However, she was not picked for the Australia tour or the home series against West Indies.
Raghvi Bisht and Sayali Satghare have been recalled to the side as well. The former made her T20I debut against West Indies recently while Satghare was a part of the squad for the New Zealand series but she didn’t get a game. Pratika Rawal who was impressive in her debut series against West Indies (134 runs in three games) retains her place.
The three-match ODI series kicks off on the 10th of January with the other two games scheduled to be played on 12th and 15th of January respectively. The Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot will host all three matches.
SQUAD: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Deepti Sharma (vice-captain), Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal, Uma Chetry (wicket-keeper), Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare.
Chance for India to finish second on ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 table
India have already qualified for the 2025 Women’s World Cup on the virtue of being the host nation. They have been in top form in the 50-over format in the current cycle. They have 15 wins, five losses and a tie. With 31 points, they are third on the table.
Australia have finished at the top and have won the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 league. India have the chance to come second. At the moment, England are second with 32 points. India need just one win to surpass England.
