The first match of the senior women’s one-day Challenger Trophy will be played between India A and India B on December 4 at Vijayawada. India A will be led by all-rounder Sneh Rana, while India B will be captained by wicket-keeper bat Taniya Bhatia.
A total of seven matches will be played in the tournament, including the final. The top two teams out of the four total teams will play the finals.
Match preview: India A vs India B
Squads:
India A: Sneh Rana, Shivali Shinde, Lakshmi Yadav, Vrinda Dinesh, Jhanshi Lakshmi, Yastika Bhatia, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Mehak Kesar, Bareddy Malli Anusha, Sonal Kalal, Ganga Waikhom, Disha Kasat, Renuka Singh, Simran Dil Bahadur, Maya Sonawane
India B: Taniya Bhatia, Anju Tomar, Riya Chaudhary, Palak Patel, Shubha Satish, Harleen Deol, Humeira Kazi, Chandu V Ram, Rashi Kanojiya, Gongadi Trisha, Soumya Tiwari, Meghna Singh, Sarla Devi, Saima Thakoor, Ramyashri Prasad
Players to watch out for
Vrinda Dinesh:
The Karnataka opening bat was the leading run-getter for her side and fifth-highest run-scorer in the recently concluded senior women one-day tournament. She is a class act, boasting of a solid skill set. She scored 348 runs in six matches, including two centuries and two half-centuries. If given the opportunity, she will be a player to watch out for.
Renuka Singh:
The speedster from Himachal Pradesh made her international debut this year during the Australia series. The right-arm quick featured in three T20Is and accounted for one wicket in two innings. With nine wickets in five matches in the senior women one-day tournament, she will be raring to have a go in the Challenger Trophy.
Harleen Deol:
The all-rounder, who has been with the Indian T20I team since 2019, has the ability to contribute with not only bat and ball but also on the field. She can bat her time in the middle and is more than a handy leg spinner. In recent times, she grabbed the eyeballs of many through her electric fielding.
Rashi Kanojiya:
The left-arm quick from Uttar Pradesh was the leading wicket-taker in the senior women one-day tournament. She wrecked havoc with the ball scalping 15 wickets in six matches at an economy of just 3.39 and strike rate of 21.93. She also picked up a four-wicket haul. With not too many left-arm seamers around, she has a good chance of making it to the Indian team, provided she performs well in the Challenger Trophy.
Weather
The weather is expected to be hazy all through the course of the match with an average temperature between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius. There is 3-4% chance of precipitation with almost 100% cloud cover during the course of the match. In the morning (local), the wind will blow from the northwest, while in the afternoon (local) it will blow from the west-northwest.
Pitch
The venue has not seen much domestic cricket being played with the last few matches being played in 2017 during the Ranji Trophy. Since it will be a fresh wicket, it is likely to aid the batters. For the bowlers, they will have to bowl those probing lines and lengths to yield the most of the wicket.
Fantasy playing XI
Taniya Bhatia, Jhansi Lakshmi, Harleen Deol, Yastika Bhatia, Meghna Singh, Sarla Devi, Sneh Rana, Vrinda Dinesh, Renuka Singh, Saima Thakor, Rashi Kanojiya
Match details
Date: December 4, 2021
Time: 9 am IST
Venue: Dr. Gokaraju Laila Ganga Raju ACA Cricket Complex -DVR Ground,Mulapadu, Vijayawada
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.