The Indian cricket team has announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The majority of the Indian team that advanced to the women’s T20 Asia Cup final in July of this year has been retained for the women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the exception of Uma Chetry, 14 of the 15 players on the World Cup roster were also on the Asia Cup team. Instead, India has selected Yastika Bhatia; however, both her and Shreyanka Patil’s inclusion is dependent on their respective fitness levels, as the latter sustained a fractured finger in an Asia Cup match against Pakistan.
With 204 runs in eight games, wicketkeeper-batter Bhatia was the Mumbai Indians’ third-highest run-scorer in the WPL 2024. She appeared in the first Twenty20 International match at Sylhet against Bangladesh, in April, but hasn’t played since. She sustained a left knee injury and is currently recovering at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
As captain, Harmanpreet Kaur will remain in charge while Smriti Mandhana will serve as vice-captain. Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, and the two stalwarts KKaur and Mandhana are anticipated to constitute the backbone of the batting order. Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar will be in charge of the fast-bowling group. The primary spinners are Patil, Radha Yadav, and Deepti.
Tanuja Kanwar, who took Patil’s place in the India squad for the Asia Cup, is listed as one of the traveling reserves but is not included in the squad. In addition to Kanwar, the reserves include fast bowler Saima Thakor and wicketkeeper-batter Chetry. The recent Australia tour by the India A team featured legspinner Priya Mishra and batter Raghvi Bist, who has been named non-travelling reserves.
India are placed in Group A at the World Cup along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. They would be desperate for an ICC title under their belt, their maiden, after coming close on several occasions. The conditions in the UAE, the new venue for the tournament might also suit the Indians.
The competition will begin in Sharjah on October 3 and conclude in Dubai on October 20. India’s campaign kicks off on October 4 in an evening match against New Zealand in Dubai, while October 6 will be the day when India will collide with arch-rivals Pakistan in a highly anticipated encounter.
India squad for Women’s T20 World Cup
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Yastika Bhatia* (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajeevan Sajana
* Subject to fitness
