India’s best XI for the Women’s T20I series against England

India are set to embark on an exciting five-match Women’s T20I series against England, with the opening clash scheduled at the iconic Trent Bridge in Nottingham. With a blend of youth and experience, India’s best XI is expected to be led by the inspirational Harmanpreet Kaur, supported by the stylish vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and the explosive Shafali Verma at the top. The middle order boasts the finesse of Jemimah Rodrigues and the power-hitting abilities of Richa Ghosh, who is likely to don the wicketkeeping gloves. All-rounders Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana add crucial balance, offering depth in both batting and bowling departments.

The bowling attack could feature the promising Sree Charani, alongside the versatile Amanjot Kaur and the experienced Arundhati Reddy, providing a mix of pace and spin options. India’s squad depth allows flexibility, but this combination gives them the best chance to counter England’s strong lineup. With both teams eyeing early momentum in the series, fans can expect a high-intensity contest as India look to make a strong statement on English soil.

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India’s top-choice playing XI for the WT20I series against England:

1. Smriti Mandhana (vc)

• Role: Opening batter
• Strength: Elegant left-handed strokeplay, consistency, and adaptability in all conditions
• Expectation: Mandhana is expected to provide solid and aggressive starts, anchoring the innings and exploiting the powerplay. Her experience in English conditions will be crucial to laying a strong foundation at the top.

2. Shafali Verma

• Role: Opening batter
• Strength: Explosive power-hitting, fearless intent
• Expectation: Shafali is counted on to attack from the outset, unsettling bowlers and maximizing the fielding restrictions. Her ability to score quickly can give India early momentum.

3. Jemimah Rodrigues

• Role: Top-order batter
• Strength: Technical finesse, ability to rotate strike and accelerate
• Expectation: Rodrigues is expected to stabilize the innings if early wickets fall and build partnerships, while also shifting gears when required during the middle overs.

4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c)

• Role: Middle-order batter, captain
• Strength: Powerful hitting, experience under pressure, tactical acumen
• Expectation: As captain, Harmanpreet leads the side and is expected to finish games, manage chases, and provide crucial breakthroughs with her off-spin if needed.

5. Richa Ghosh (wk)

• Role: Wicketkeeper-batter
• Strength: Aggressive lower middle-order batting, quick hands behind the stumps
• Expectation: Ghosh is expected to accelerate the scoring rate in the death overs and maintain sharp wicketkeeping, especially against England’s aggressive batters.

6. Deepti Sharma

• Role: All-rounder
• Strength: Dependable off-spin, composed batting under pressure
• Expectation: Deepti is a key player for controlling the middle overs with the ball and contributing valuable runs, often acting as a finisher or stabilizer.

7. Sneh Rana

• Role: All-rounder
• Strength: Effective off-spin, handy lower-order batting
• Expectation: Rana is expected to break partnerships with her bowling and add depth to the batting, providing resilience in tight situations.

8. Amanjot Kaur

• Role: Pace-bowling All-rounder
• Strength: Useful seam bowling, aggressive batting
• Expectation: Amanjot is expected to chip in with wickets during the middle overs and add firepower to the lower order.

9. Arundhati Reddy

• Role: Fast bowler
• Strength: Experience, accuracy, ability to bowl at the death
• Expectation: Reddy is expected to lead the pace attack, deliver early breakthroughs, and bowl crucial overs at the back end.

10. Sree Charani

• Role: Slow left arm
• Strength: orthodox spinner, ability to generate bounce with her height
• Expectation: Charani is expected to complement Deepti, maintain pressure on the opposition, and provide wicket-taking options throughout the innings.

11. Kranti Goud

• Role: Fast Bowler
• Strength: Consistent pace, swing bowling, ability to maintain pressure
• Expectation: Goud is expected to provide control and breakthroughs with her disciplined bowling, especially in the powerplay and middle overs, complementing the pace battery effectively.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.