India women’s cricket team is gearing up for their upcoming tour of Bangladesh starting from 9th July. The squads for both ODI and T20I have been announced and have got some notable inclusions and exclusions. The T20I squad, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, includes some familiar names along with a few promising newcomers. The experienced duo of Shafali and Mandhana will be leading the charge at the top of the order. They will be supported by the likes of Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and skipper Kaur in the middle order.
Yastika Bhatia and potential debutant Uma Chetry will have wicket-keeping responsibilities in the absence of the regular wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh. Harleen Deol and Devika Vaidya have also earned their place in the squad after a good WPL show.
In terms of bowling, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghana Singh, and Anjali Sarvani will lead the attack with a very new and inexperienced bowling lineup. There are maiden call-ups for Kerala allrounder Minnu Mani (only T20Is) and the left-arm spinning duo of Anusha Bareddy and Rashi Kanojiya for both T20Is and ODIs. Minnu represented Delhi Capitals in the inaugural WPL in which her side reached the final.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS:🚨
India’s ODI squad for Bangladesh Tour.
Harmanpreet Kaur (C),
Smriti Mandhana (VC),
Deepti Sharma,
Shafali Verma,
Jemimah Rodrigues,
Yastika Bhatia (wk),
Harleen Deol,
Devika Vaidya,
Uma Chetry (wk),
Amanjot Kaur,
Priya Punia,
Pooja Vastrakar,… pic.twitter.com/AmK7qhdyLn— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 2, 2023
In terms of leadership as well as in terms of the batting lineup, the one-day team resembles the T20I team. The batting order remains mostly unaltered, with experienced players like Verma, Kaur, Mandhana, and Rodrigues expected to contribute significantly.
A notable inclusion here is Priya Punia who returns to the ODI team after a two-year absence on the back of her outstanding domestic campaign, wherein she scored 472 runs in seven outings at a stunning average of 85.4. Her performances were very impressive in the Interzonal One Day Trophy as well where she amassed 250 runs at an average of 62.50.
Devika Vaidya, Amanjot Kaur, Harleen Deol, and Sneh Rana will provide the necessary all-round options along with the star players Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar who consistently performed well for India. Fast bowler Monica Patel also returns to the ODI squad.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS:🚨
India’s T20I squad for Bangladesh Tour.
Harmanpreet Kaur (C),
Smriti Mandhana (VC),
Deepti Sharma,
Shafali Verma,
Jemimah Rodrigues,
Yastika Bhatia (wk),
Harleen Deol,
Devika Vaidya,
Uma Chetry (wk),
Amanjot Kaur,
S. Meghana,
Pooja Vastrakar,… pic.twitter.com/Dt9D2NQYyG— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 2, 2023
While the squad features some exciting new talents, there are a few notable absences as well. India’s fast bowling sensation Renuka Singh Thakur will miss the entire Bangladesh series. It is known that she is recovering from an injury which has led her to miss the series.
Shikha Pandey, a senior pacer has been left out of both the ODI and T20I squads. She had recently made her comeback to India’s squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup and she also had a good outing at the WPL. She was the best Indian pacer with 10 wickets in the WPL, but continues to face the axe.
The young wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh has also been dropped from both the squads. She has been replaced by Uma Chetry who became the first Assamese player to break into the national team. Ghosh was a part of the U19 World Cup-winning team and also represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore team in the WPL. She has been a regular in the team due to her explosive batting and brilliant wicket-keeping abilities. The reason behind her omission, like any other, remains unknown.
Schedule: India Women's Tour of Bangladesh 2023 🚨#CricketTwitter #BANvIND pic.twitter.com/E2CJLnV3Xe
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 2, 2023
The experienced left-arm bowling duo of Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav have also been left out. New spinners have been included in the squad. Their absence leaves a void in the spin bowling department but also provides an opportunity for the young players to showcase their skills.
Right-arm spin all-rounder Shreyanka will have to wait for her international debut since she hasn’t made it to the squad. The allrounder had a memorable WPL season and also performed brilliantly in the Emerging Asia Cup earning the player of the series award. She is also in the headlines as she will become the first Indian player to participate in WCPL and also the first to be offered an overseas league contract before making her international debut.
The absence of some key players will test the depth and resilience of the squad. However, it will also provide younger players to shine and display their skills. The Indian team is yet to have a full-time coach and an announcement for the same is expected before the team travels to Bangladesh.
The three-match T20I series between India and Bangladesh will kick off the country’s visit to Bangladesh from July 9 to July 13. Then, from July 16 to July 22, there will be three ODIs. At Mirpur’s Sher e Bangla National Stadium, all contests will be held.
India’s T20I squad for Bangladesh Tour
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol, Devika Vaidya, Uma Chetry (wk), Amanjot Kaur, S. Meghana, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Monica Patel, Rashi Kanojiya, Anusha Bareddy, Minnu Mani
India’s ODI squad for Bangladesh Tour
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol, Devika Vaidya, Uma Chetry (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Priya Punia, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Monica Patel, Rashi Kanojiya, Anusha Bareddy, Sneh Rana