By Mohamed Bahaa

India has announced its 15-member team for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 3 to 20. Veteran cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the team, confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while Smriti Mandhana will serve as the vice-captain.

Key players like Shafli Verma, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia and Renuka Singh make up the squad that the women’s selection committee has put together. Asha Sobhana, who recently made waves in the Women’s Premier League, has also been included in the team.

India will start in Group A and face fierce rivals like Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The matches will be played at two famous venues in the UAE (Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium). The tournament will comprise 23 matches. Dubai will host two semi-finals on October 17 and 18 and the grand final is scheduled for October 20.

However, with two key players Yastika Bhatia and Shreyanka Patil currently recovering from injuries, India’s ambitions could be in question. As stated in the official press release, their participation in the event will depend on their recovery and fitness levels.

India’s squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (Week), Yastika Bhatia (week)*, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajana Sajeevan.

*Subject to fitness clearance

India’s first match in the tournament will be played on October 6 in Dubai. It will be an exciting clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. The Indian team will then face New Zealand on October 4 and Sri Lanka on October 9, both in Dubai. Their last league match will be against Australia on October 13 in Sharjah.

The tension is mounting as the Indian team, led by the explosive duo of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, prepares to challenge the best in the fight for the prestigious T20 title.