Just 3 days after being crowned T20 World Cup champions, New Zealand are slated to face India in a 3-match away One-Day International (ODI) series as preparations pick pace for the 2025 (50-over) World Cup, scheduled to be held in India. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced their full-strength squad, featuring a maiden call-up for an up-and-coming wicketkeeper-batter while omitting a seasoned spinner.
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Sophie Devine, the captain of the T20 World Cup-winning team, will lead a 15-member squad that features seasoned players such as Lea Tahuhu, Suzie Bates, and Melie Kerr. The squad also sees the inclusion of 28-year-old Polly Inglis, who has earned her maiden call-up to the senior national team on the back of consistent performances at the domestic level.
✅ New Kit
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✅ New FormatSeries starts 24th October in Ahmedabad.#CricketTwitter #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/1m5QIFZ5gd
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 22, 2024
New Zealand’s squad for India series:
Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Polly Inglis, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Polly followed up her 200-plus run tally in the 2022-23 domestic One-Day season by amassing 324 runs from 10 outings in the 2023-24 edition. She scored at an impressive average of 54.00, notching up two fifties, with a top score of 73.
Rewarded for her domestic success, head coach Ben Sawyer expressed his excitement about welcoming Polly into the senior team, stating, “We’re really excited to introduce Polly for her first tour. She put her hand up in last season’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and throughout the New Zealand A series against England, so it’s a great next step for her.”
The India tour marks the return of Lauren Down, who has been included in the squad following a maternity break. While Rosemary Mair has been rested for this series, having recently returned from injury and featured in both the T20I series against Australia in September and the subsequent T20 World Cup in October, seasoned spinner Leigh Kasperek has been overlooked.
While Leigh Kasperek’s last ODI appearance dates back to 2021, she has been instrumental in the success of New Zealand’s ‘A’ team, including in One Dayers. In March this year, against England A, she contributed with both bat and ball, scoring 25 runs and claiming 3/35. Although she made it into the final 15 for the T20 World Cup squad, she only featured in one game during the tournament.
Notably, in the 2023-24 One Day season, Leigh Kasperek claimed an impressive 18 wickets from 11 outings, with the best of 5/16, while also contributing 277 runs from 10 innings, including the highest score of 89. Despite her consistent performances and experience, her omission from the squad stands as a harsh snub, especially given her key role in New Zealand’s recent plans.
🚨 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒!! 🚨
New Zealand’s Squad for 3 ODIs vs India Announced.#CricketTwitter #INDvsNZ pic.twitter.com/GD7n4wD9CJ
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 21, 2024
Fresh off their World Cup triumph, the New Zealand team will be a treat to watch, brimming with renewed energy. The emerging spin duo of Eden Carson and Fran Jonas will be particularly exciting, alongside Georgia Plimmer, who made her mark in international cricket during this World Cup. These rising stars, along with the seniors, played pivotal roles in the World Cup victory and will undoubtedly be closely followed.
Currently seeded 6th in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Championship (2022/23-25) with 8 wins, as many defeats, and 2 no-results from 18 games, New Zealand will eye improvement in this crucial series while building on their lead over India in the format, having won 33 of their 54 face-offs head-to-head, losing 20, alongside one tie.
As the T20 World Cup victory sinks in, head coach Ben Sawyers is already focused on winning the series against India and gathering insights as the team prepares for the 50-over World Cup. He commented, “Alongside trying to win the series, the tour will serve as important preparation for next year’s ODI World Cup in India.”
T20 World Champs New Zealand will be visiting India for 3 ODIs starting 24th October#CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/BBh0x8Iwil
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 21, 2024
“It’s been an amazing 24 hours for this group becoming T20 World Cup champions. We’re relishing the win but when we get to India we’ll need to refocus and set our sights on the next challenge,” he concluded.
India vs New Zealand, series schedule:
1st ODI: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, 1:30 PM IST, October 24
2nd ODI: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, 1:30 PM IST, October 27
3rd ODI: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, 1:30 PM IST, October 29
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