The Indian women’s team for the crucial tri-series in Australia and the probables for the subsequent Women’s T20 World Cup will be picked in Mumbai on Sunday i.e. the 12th of January. The tri-series involving India, England and Australia begins in Canberra on January 31. The series will be played in a round-robin format where the teams will play each other twice before the final.
The tri-series stands a litmus test for the Indian side ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia. Playing against quality sides will help in testing waters and in finding the best suitable combination for the mega event.
Here is a list of 5 players beginning with sure shot picks and others who shall hang in on the radar of the selectors for the tri-series.
1. Shafali Varma
The 15-year-old Haryana girl really needs no introduction. Known for her fireworks on the field she showed impressive form in the recently concluded Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy and turned out to be the highest run-getter of the tournament. A staggering 89 runs from a mere 48 balls in the final with 15 fours and 2 sixes is the testimony of the enormous talent in this batting powerhouse.
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In the international arena, she was last spotted hitting the Australian bowlers out of the park in India A tour of Australia in early December, scoring an impeccable century in the very first match of the series.
2. Richa Ghosh
Hailing from Siliguri, she is a right-handed batswoman. In her very first match of the T20 Challenger Trophy, she chipped in with an essential contribution of 25 from 26 to take her team to a respectable total after the openers Mandhana and Jemimah had perished cheaply. She followed suit with a quick 22 off 17 in the next match. She has established herself as a dependable middle-order batter and always comes in with handy contributions to help her team in the middle.
3. Nuzhat Praveen
Nuzhat Parween shone with the bat in her outings in the Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy. She looked in fine touch behind the stumps with lightning-quick dismissals and while Taniya Bhatia stands as the first-choice wicketkeeper for the Indian side, Nuzhat Parveen makes a strong case to be picked as a backup keeper in the squad.
4. Sushree Dibyadarshini
Odisha allrounder Sushree Dabyadarshini was an integral part of the Indian campaign in the ACC Emerging Women Asia Cup. We also saw glimpses of her talent in the Women IPL in May.
She continued her form in the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger trophy taking two 3-wicket hauls in the tournament and once even picking 2 wickets in 2 balls to dent the opposition’s chase. She could turn out to be a surprise inclusion in the T20 squad for the tri-series.
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5. Manali Dakshini
Her lethal inswingers could be India’s best bet to break partnerships in the middle overs. She remained the pick of the bowlers in the T20 Challenger Trophy wherein she returned impressive figures of 3/15 in the finals for India C.
She was also a part of the India A team touring Australia wherein her bowling and handy contributions with the bat lower down the order built a strong case for her inclusion in future tours.
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