Familiar Faces Lead India’s Charge for Maiden Women’s T20 World Cup Title
India have announced a squad brimming with seasoned campaigners for the upcoming women’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in the UAE from October 3 to October 20. Retaining the bulk of the side that secured a spot in the final of the recent women’s T20 Asia Cup, the Indian team is poised to mount a strong challenge for their first-ever T20 World Cup trophy.
The only notable exclusion from the Asia Cup squad is wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry, with Yastika Bhatia earning a call-up. Bhatia’s inclusion, however, is subject to her passing a fitness test, as is the case with all-rounder Shreyanka Patil, who suffered a fractured finger in her left hand during the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
“Bhatia, known for her exploits in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, where she was Mumbai Indians’ third-highest run-scorer with 204 runs in eight outings, will be vying for the wicketkeeper’s role alongside the experienced Richa Ghosh.”
Tanuja Kanwar, who had earlier replaced the injured Patil in the Asia Cup squad, has not found a spot in the World Cup team but has been named among the travelling reserves, along with Chetry and fast bowler Saima Thakor.
The familiar faces of Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma are expected to form the backbone of the Indian batting lineup. The pace attack will be spearheaded by Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, while Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, and Patil will lead the spin charge.
India have been placed in Group A of the World Cup, alongside Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as they seek to secure their maiden women’s T20 World Cup title. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Bangladesh but was shifted to the UAE last week due to the ongoing anti-government protests in the country.
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