ICC T20 Women’s World Cup 2023: India squad announced, Shikha Pandey makes a comeback

The
showpiece
ICC
event
will
be
played
from
February
10
to
26
in
South
Africa
where
the
Harmanpreet
Kaur-led
side
will
once
again
look
to
lift
the
coveted
trophy.

Shikha
last
played
for
India
in
October
2021
before
being
controversially
dropped
from
the
team.
Her
inclusion
highlights
the
lack
of
depth
in
India’s
pace
bowling
department
which
was
exposed
during
the
recently
concluded
T20I
series
against
Australia
at
home.

Pandey,
the
33-year-old
swing
bowler,
has
featured
in
three
Tests,
55
ODIs
and
56
T20s.
Smriti
Mandhana
will
be
Harmanpreet’s
deputy
in
the
multi-nation
tournament.

Top-order
batter
Jemimah
Rodrigues
has
managed
to
retain
her
place
in
the
team
despite
low
returns
in
India’s
1-4
series
loss
to
the
Aussies.

Anjali
Sarvani
rewarded

Left-arm
pacer
Anjali
Sarvani
is
also
part
of
the
team
following
her
debut
series
against
Australia.
The
other
pace
bowling
options
include
Renuka
Thakur
and
Pooja
Vastrakar,
whose
inclusion
in
the
squad
is
subject
to
fitness.

The
Australia
series
exposed
India’s
frailties
in
the
bowling
department
and
the
team
has
a
lot
of
work
to
do
before
the
ICC
event.
The
spinners
in
the
team
include
all-rounders
Deepti
Sharma
and
Devika
Vaidya
besides
Radha
Yadav
and
Rajeshwari
Gayakwad.

India
Squad
for
T20I
tri-series
in
South
Africa
announced

Shafali
Verma
and
Richa
Ghosh
are
already
in
South
Africa
with
the
U-19
team.
India
lost
to
Australia
in
the
2020
T20
World
Cup
final
at
the
MCG.
The
BCCI
also
announced
the
squad
for
the
tri-series
that
will
take
place
before
the
World
Cup.

The
World
Cup
reserves
—
Sneh
Rana,
S
Meghana
and
Meghna
Singh
—
are
part
of
the
tri-series
squad.
The
tri-series
involving
India,
South
Africa
and
West
Indies
begins
on
January
19.

Sushma
Verma
makes
her
comeback
for
tri-series

Sushma
Verma,
who
last
played
for
India
in
March
2021,
has
made
a
comeback
for
the
tri-series.
Uncapped
all-rounder
Amanjot
Kaur
is
the
lone
fresh
face
in
the
squad.
India
will
open
their
tri-series
campaign
against
hosts,
South
Africa,
on
January
19
before
facing
West
Indies
on
January
23.
All
teams
play
each
other
twice
before
the
final
on
February
2.

India’s
WC
Squad:
Harmanpreet
Kaur
(Captain),
Smriti
Mandhana
(Vice-Captain),
Shafali
Verma,
Yastika
Bhatia
(wk),
Richa
Ghosh
(wk)
Jemimah
Rodrigues,
Harleen
Deol,
Deepti
Sharma,
Devika
Vaidya,
Radha
Yadav,
Renuka
Thakur,
Anjali
Sarvani,
Pooja
Vastrakar,
Rajeshwari
Gayakwad,
Shikha
Pandey.

India’s
squad
for
Tri-series:
Harmanpreet
Kaur
(Captain),
Smriti
Mandhana
(Vice
Captain),
Yastika
Bhatia
(wk),
Jemimah
Rodrigues,
Harleen
Deol,
Deepti
Sharma,
Devika
Vaidya,
Rajeshwari
Gayakwad,
Radha
Yadav,
Renuka
Thakur,
Meghna
Singh,
Anjali
Sarvani,
Shushma
Verma
(wk),
Amanjot
Kaur,
Pooja
Vastrakar,
Sabbhineni
Meghana,
Sneh
Rana,
Shikha
Pandey.

(With
PTI
inputs)