Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the 15-member India squad at the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with Bengal’s rookie batter Richa Ghosh being the only new face in the team. The left-handed opener Smriti Mandhana has been appointed as the vice-captain of the side.
The Women in Blue will kick-off their campaign at the showpiece event against hosts Australia in Sydney on February 21.
Meanwhile, after some back to back consistent performances in the Challenger Trophy, the 15-year-old batting sensation Shafali Verma has made her cut into the Indian squad, which will also mark her first appearance in an ICC event.
The squad also sees the return of big-hitter Veda Krishnamurthy. She was undergoing a slump after the 2017 World Cup in England and had not performed up to the mark during the 2018 World T20 in the Caribbean Islands.
However, in the series against West Indies, Veda scored a vital 57 not out in the final match as India clean swept the hosts 5-0. There is no place in the side for Anuja Patil or Mansi Joshi, but Rajeshwari Gayakwad is back after missing the series against West Indies.
In the 2020 T20 World Cup, India Women are placed in Group A along with hosts Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while Group B comprises England, South Africa, the West Indies, Pakistan and Thailand.
World T20 squad:
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodriguez, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Richa Ghosh, Tania Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gaikwad, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy.
