Dhaka: Four months after their last international outing, where they narrowly lost to eventual champions Australia in the semifinals of the Women’s T20 World Cup, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be eyeing a fresh start in the format as they take on Bangladesh in the T20I series opener at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
In the squad for the T20Is against Bangladesh, with Nooshin Al Khadeer as interim coach, India have included fresh faces in Rashi Kanojiya, Minnu Mani, B Anusha and Uma Chetry, giving them a chance to shine at the international level in the absence of the likes of Richa Ghosh, Shikha Pandey, Renuka Singh Thakur.
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur are set to bat in the top four positions, it means that left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia will have to bat at No.5 and see how she fares as a finisher after being an opener for Mumbai Indians in the WPL as well as in previous T20Is.
India will also be trying to unearth a finisher who also possesses power-hitting skills, something which is very much needed in the ever-evolving world of T20 cricket. The lack of a power-packed finisher in the Indian team was also evident from the previous slip-ups in the Commonwealth Games final as well as in this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal.
With no Richa in the team, the likes of Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma need to step up big time on the slow and low pitches of Bangladesh. Deepti had donned the finisher’s role for UP Warriorz in the WPL.
But Deepti failed to shine and ended up with a below-par strike rate of 83.33, while Pooja and Amanjot have shown on certain occasions that they can do the finishing job well if provided a chance to do so.
In the absence of pacers Renuka and Shikha Pandey as well as left-arm spinners Radha Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, the left-arm spin duo of Anusha and Rashi can fancy their chances of making an international debut.
Though the duo didn’t find any takers in the WPL, they have shined in the domestic circuit, with Anusha recently being a member of the India A side winning the Emerging Teams Asia Cup trophy in Hong Kong.
For the left and right-arm pace duo of Monica Patel and Meghna Singh, it is a golden opportunity to show that they can be long-time members of the Indian team, alongside another left-arm pacer in Anjali Sarvani.
Monica is back in the format for the first time since debuting against South Africa at home in March 2021 while Meghna will be eager to put good performances after finding no team in the WPL.
On the other hand, Bangladesh enter the series after leaving out their experienced players, pacer Jahanara Alam and top-order batter Fargana Hoque, who is in the standbys.
It is a chance for uncapped batter Shathi Rani, as well as young pacers Marufa Akter and uncapped Disha Biswas, to stake a claim for permanent spots in the Nigar Sultana Joty-led team, with the Women’s T20 World Cup set to be held in Bangladesh in 2024.
Squads:
Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana (captain & wicketkeeper), Nahida Akter, Dilara Akter, Shathi Rani, Shamima Sultana, Sobhana Mostary, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Disha Biswas, Marufa Akter, Sanjida Akter Maghla, Rabeya, Sultana Khatun, Salma Khatun, Fahima Khatun
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Harleen Deol, Devika Vaidya, Uma Chetry (wicketkeeper), Amanjot Kaur, S. Meghana, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Monica Patel, Rashi Kanojiya, Anusha Bareddy, Minnu Mani.
(IANS)
