"Grind but never give up" - Twitter hails Shikha Pandey on her return to 2023 T20 World Cup squad

On Wednesday, December 28, cricket fans were excited to see the inclusion of Indian women's team pacer Shikha Pandey in the 2023 T20 World Cup squad.

The All India Women's selection committee under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday named a 15-member squad for the T20I tri-series followed by the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023.

Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the side in both the tournaments in South Africa, with opener Smriti Mandhana named the vice-captain. 13 of the 15 players who were part of the five-match T20I series against Australia this month were retained.

Top-order batter Sabbhineni Meghana and pace bowler Meghana Singh were the only two players from India's 15-member squad against Australia who didn't make the cut to the WT20 squad. The pair, along with spin bowling all-rounder Sneh Rana, were named on the reserve players' list for the showpiece event.

The most surprising selection in the squad was of 33-year-old Shikha Pandey, who played her last T20 International game for India in October 2021.

Pandey played for India D Women in the Senior Women's T20 Challenger Trophy last month. She picked up a couple of wickets in four matches at an average of 40 and an economy of 6.15. With 40 wickets in 56 matches at 25.32, Pandey is the eighth-most wicket-taker in Indian women's cricket in T20Is of all time.

Many fans on Twitter welcomed the decision to bring the experienced player back to the the squad for the eighth edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

Here's how Twitter reacted to Pandey's comeback in the Indian team.

Shikha Pandey @shikhashauny is back where she belongs.
@BCCIWomen
@ICCMediaComms https://t.co/ZTs8wsP8Sf

Congrats, #CricketTwitter. Looks like our Group prayer finally worked for Shikha Pandey.

SHIKHA PANDEY IN THE T20 WC SQUAD, INJECT IT IN MY VEINS
https://t.co/t3Nmo7NdCs

Good to see Shikha Pandey fighting her way back into the Indian team for the #ICCT20WorldCup. Should be an inspiration for Sneh Rana. Looks a good team.

Welcome back Shikha Pandey @shikhashauny 🔥🔥🔥 twitter.com/CricSubhayan/s…

Shikha pandey is back 👍🏻 hope so achha performance aaye.

WHAT IS RADHA DOING?? SNEH DESERVING (wicket taker bowler + can help with bat) twitter.com/BCCIWomen/stat…

Shikha Pandey making to T20 World Cup squad begs the question that why was she not deemed good enough to be picked earlier and why has that changed all of a sudden?

It is a mistake that has been finally corrected,but she should have been playing for India all this while.

Days when Twitter gives happiness. Go well Shikha Pandey @shikhashauny https://t.co/pCU72CmxNt

Moral of the story: Grind, but never give up!

We finally see a day when Jemimah Rodrigues & Shikha Pandey are both in the squad, and quite rightly so. twitter.com/cricketqueens/…

Sneh Rana should have been in main squad .
Baki all ok #T20WorldCup #India #indianwomensteam .
So happy for Shikha pandey . https://t.co/iKfcl7dORX

Am I dreaming??????? Did I see Shikha Pandey's name!!!!!. I like this squad except seeing Radha Yadav in the squad and Sneh Rana in reserves!! twitter.com/BCCIWomen/stat…

STOP THE PRESS SWING QUEEN. SHIKHA PANDEY IS BACK 😭😭♥️ twitter.com/BCCIWomen/stat…

Left-handed batter Devika Vaidya made her return to the squad for the shortest format in the home T20I series against Australia after a gap of eight years. She amassed 80 runs in five innings at 26.67 and a strike rate of 109.59.

Madhya Pradesh pace bowler Pooja Vastrakar's availibility in the T20 World Cup will be subjected to her fitness. The tournament begins on February 10 as hosts South Africa take on Sri Lanka in Cape Town. India will kick off their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 12.