India has announced a familiar squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, retaining most of the players from the team that reached the final of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in July. Fourteen of the 15 players selected were part of the Asia Cup squad, with only Uma Chetry missing out. Yastika Bhatia will replace her, but her inclusion, like Shreyanka Patil’s, depends on fitness. Patil is recovering from a fractured finger sustained during an Asia Cup match against Pakistan.
Key Players and Injury Updates
Bhatia, a wicketkeeper-batter, was Mumbai Indians’ third-highest run-scorer in WPL 2024, accumulating 204 runs in eight matches. She played in the first T20I against Bangladesh in April but has since been sidelined with a left knee injury. She is now rehabilitating at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Changes and Reserves
Tanuja Kanwar, who filled in for Patil during the Asia Cup, has not been included in the main squad but is listed among the traveling reserves. Joining her in the reserves are Chetry and fast bowler Saima Thakor. Raghvi Bist and leg-spinner Priya Mishra, who were part of the India A squad in Australia recently, have been named as non-traveling reserves.
Leadership and Key Players
Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the side, with Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain. Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma will strengthen the batting lineup, while Renuka Singh will lead the pace attack with Pooja Vastrakar. The spin department will feature Deepti, Radha Yadav, and Patil.
India is in Group A for the World Cup, along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The team aims to win its first Women’s T20 World Cup title. The tournament, initially scheduled in Bangladesh, moved to the UAE last week due to anti-government unrest in Bangladesh, prompting many countries to issue travel advisories against visiting.
The tournament kicks off on October 3 in Sharjah, with the final scheduled for October 20 in Dubai. India will start their campaign against New Zealand on October 4 in Dubai, followed by a match against Pakistan on October 6 at the same venue.
India Squad for Women’s T20 World Cup:
- Harmanpreet Kaur (captain)
- Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain)
- Yastika Bhatia* (wicketkeeper)
- Shafali Verma
- Deepti Sharma
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper)
- Pooja Vastrakar
- Arundhati Reddy
- Renuka Singh
- D Hemalatha
- Asha Sobhana
- Radha Yadav
- Shreyanka Patil*
- Sajeevan Sajana
Traveling Reserves: Tanuja Kanwar, Uma Chetry, Saima Thakor.
Non-Traveling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra.
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