India women's team announce squad for Australia tour; Shafali Verma not included as Harleen Deol returns
The Indian women's team selection committee have named a 16-player contingent for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, away from home. The squad will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur while Smriti Mandhana will continue to act as deputy.
The Women in Blue had kickstarted their road to the 2025 ODI World Cup on home soil with a series win over New Zealand recently in Ahmedabad. The team will hope for more of the same Down Under with a squad that does not include explosive opening batter Shafali Verma.
The 20-year-old has been struggling with a poor string of scores for a while now. She had an underwhelming 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, and could not make an impression in the New Zealand series as well, scoring only 56 runs in three matches.
Dayalan Hemalatha, whose ODI average has plunged to 12.12 in recent times, has also not been included in the mix.
Harleen Deol marks a return to the side after sustaining a knee injury midway through the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) campaign while playing for the Gujarat Giants (GG).
Wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh also returns to the side after missing the New Zealand ODIs as she had to take her board examinations.
The squad includes senior players like Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, and Renuka Singh Thakur, along with some of the players who recently made their first appearances in the New Zealand ODI series. The likes of Tejal Hasabnis, Priya Mishra, and Saima Thakor retain their place while Minnu Mani and Titas Sadhu could be on the verge of a potential maiden appearance in the 50-over format.
India women's team squad for Australia ODIs
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Richa Ghosh (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Saima Thakor
India-Australia ODI series scheduled to begin on December 5
A number of Indian players are already on Australian shores competing in the ongoing Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).
The three-match ODI series will begin on December 5, with the first two matches set to take place at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. The final ODI of the series will be hosted by the iconic WACA in Perth.