India names experienced squad for Women's T20 World Cup 2024
India has named a largely unchanged squad for the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, retaining most of the players who reached the final of the Women's T20 Asia Cup earlier this year.
The squad of 15 features 14 players from the Asia Cup side, with the only exclusion being Uma Chetry. Yastika Bhatia has been included in her place, but her participation is contingent upon her fitness, as is the case with Shreyanka Patil, who suffered a fractured finger in her left hand during an Asia Cup match against Pakistan.
Bhatia, a wicketkeeper-batter, was a key performer for Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024, where she was the third-highest run-scorer for the team with 204 runs in eight matches. Despite playing the first T20I against Bangladesh in Sylhet in April, she has been sidelined since then due to a left knee injury and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Tanuja Kanwar, who was called up as a replacement for Patil during the Asia Cup, has not made the main squad but is listed among the traveling reserves. Joining her in the reserves are Chetry, also a wicketkeeper-batter, and fast bowler Saima Thakor. Batter Raghvi Bist and leg-spinner Priya Mishra, who were part of the India A team that recently toured Australia, have been named as non-traveling reserves.
Harmanpreet Kaur to lead the Squad
Harmanpreet Kaur continues to captain the team, with Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain. The batting lineup will also feature Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma, forming a strong core. Renuka Singh is set to lead the fast-bowling attack, supported by Pooja Vastrakar, while Deepti, Radha Yadav, and Patil are the main spin options.
India is placed in Group A for the World Cup alongside Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and they are aiming to secure their first Women's T20 World Cup title.
The tournament, originally scheduled to be held in Bangladesh, was relocated to the UAE last week due to political unrest and travel advisories against visiting Bangladesh. The competition will begin on October 3 in Sharjah, with the final scheduled for October 20 in Dubai. India will kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Dubai on October 4 in an evening match, followed by a clash with Pakistan at the same venue on October 6.
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
Travelling Reserves: Tanuja Kanwar, Uma Chetry, Saima Thakor.
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