India’s regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Singh have been rested for the three-match ODI series against Ireland, starting January 10 in Rajkot. In their absence, Smriti Mandhana will lead the team, with Deepti Sharma named as vice-captain.
New faces Raghvi Bist and Sayali Satghare have been called up for the series. Bist, who debuted in the T20I series against West Indies last month, made notable scores of 5 and 31. Satghare, called up during the New Zealand ODIs in October 2024, is still waiting for her debut match. Pratika Rawal and Tanuja Kanwar, who debuted in the ODIs against West Indies, retain their spots in the squad.
Mandhana previously led India in Harmanpreet’s absence during the West Indies T20I series. Harmanpreet later returned for the ODIs, scoring 88 runs across three games.
Shafali Verma, despite topping the run charts in the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, remains out of the squad. She amassed 527 runs in seven matches at an impressive average of 75.29, including a massive 197 against Bengal. More recently, she scored a match-winning 91 off 71 balls for Team A in the Challenger Trophy but continues to be overlooked by selectors.
The series marks Ireland’s first-ever bilateral tour of India and their first face-off with India since 2006 in ODIs. The two sides last met in the 2023 T20 World Cup, where India secured a narrow five-run victory. Historically, India has dominated Ireland, winning all 12 of their previous ODI encounters.
India Women’s Squad for Ireland ODIs:
Smriti Mandhana (capt), Deepti Sharma (vice-capt), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare.
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