The BCCI has announced the squad for the Indian women’s cricket team for the Asian Games 2023. The women’s T20 cricket competition will take place from September 19 to 28. Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the side while Smriti Mandhana will stay her deputy as the star wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh has returned. Ghosh, who was out of nowhere left out of the national side for the Bangladesh series has replaced Yastika Bhatia in the squad while the player of the match in the inaugural U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final, Titas Sadhu has earned a maiden call-up.
Apart from Ghosh, senior left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad has also made a comeback while veteran pacer Shikha Pandey continues to spend time on the sidelines as she got ignored for the second consecutive Indian team assignment.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab all-rounder Kanika Ahuja also earned her maiden call-up along with Titas, however, Shreyanka Patil will have to wait for her chance a little more. Harleen Deol and Pooja Vastrakar who are currently part of the squad for the Bangladesh series have been named in the standby list along with Mumbai Indians star Saika Ishaque.
Surprisingly, not just Yastika, Harleen and Vastrakar, four more players including Monica Patel, Meghna Singh, S Meghana and Rashi Kanojia have also been dropped, some of them haven’t even played a game. Minnu Mani, the first Kerala player to play for Indian women and wicketkeeper Uma Chetry kept their places. Star India pacer Renuka Singh Thakur is still not part of any of the squads as many wonder, if she is injured.
Indian women’s squad for Asian Games 2023: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Devika Vaidya, Anjali Sarvani, Titas Sadhu, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Minnu Mani, Kanika Ahuja, Uma Chetry (wk), Anusha Bareddy
Standby list of players: Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque, Pooja Vastrakar
