New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): India has announced a revamped ODI squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka, which will also feature South Africa, with several fresh faces earning their maiden national call-ups. Kashvee Gautam, N Shree Charani, and Shuchi Upadhyay have been included in the team for the first time, marking a significant step forward in their careers, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Harmanpreet Kaur returns as captain after missing the previous series against Ireland at home in January. Also making comebacks are Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Arundhati Reddy, and Amanjot Kaur.
Notably, Shafali Verma remains absent from the squad despite an impressive showing in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) earlier this year. She scored 304 runs across nine innings, finishing fourth on the run-scorers’ list with a strike rate of 152.76.
In the previous series against Ireland, where India won all three games convincingly under Smriti Mandhana’s leadership, several players featured who haven’t been retained this time. Uma Chetry, Raghvi Bist, Sayali Satghare, Tanuja Kanwar, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, and Saima Thakor are among those left out.
Kashvee Gautam, 21, was one of the standout performers in the WPL, taking 11 wickets, the most by an Indian in nine matches, impressing with her pace and accuracy. Left-arm spinner N Shree Charani, 20, featured in just two games for Delhi Capitals but managed to claim four wickets. Meanwhile, fellow left-arm spinner Shuchi Upadhyay earned her call-up following a stellar performance in the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy last December. She was the tournament’s third-highest wicket-taker, grabbing 18 wickets at an economy of 3.48 and an average of 15.44. Her efforts earned her the Player of the Tournament award as Madhya Pradesh clinched the title.
This tri-series serves as a crucial preparatory stage for all three teams as they build towards the Women’s ODI World Cup, scheduled to be held in India later this year between September and October.
India squad for women’s ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Tejal Hasabnis, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay. (ANI)
