Sweta Verma earn call-up, Shikha Pandey dropped for SA series
Wicket-keeper Sweta Verma and left-handed batsmwoman Yastika Bhatia have earned maiden call-ups to the India women's squad for the impending five-match ODI series against South Africa. The 18-member ODI squad also sees the return of Sushma Verma, who also features in the T20I squad. Meanwhile, all-rounder Shikha Pandey and wicket-keeper Taniya Bhatia have been left out for the two-format series. Here is more.
The white-ball squad sees several new faces
Uncapped all-rounder Challuru Prathyusha and left-arm pacer Monica Patel have also been included in both the sides, with fast bowler Mansi Joshi making a return. While Sushma features in both ODI and T20I squad, Nuzhat Parveen has been named as the second wicket-keeper in the T20I side. The likes of Ayushi Soni and Simran Dil Bahadur also claim a spot in the T20I squad.
Pandey, Bhatia dropped for the series
All-rounder Pandey, who was India's second-highest wicket-taker with seven scalps at the ICC women's T20 World Cup last year, remains a notable exclusion. She took seven wickets from five games at an impressive average of 19.42 and economy-rate of 6.85. Meanwhile, Bhatia, who has most dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper in T20Is (67), has also been left out.
India women's squad for SA ODI series
India women's ODI squad: Mithali Raj (Capt), Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Punam Raut, Priya Punia, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), D Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Sushma Verma (wicket-keeper), Swetha Verma (wicket-keeper), Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Mansi Joshi, Poonam Yadav, C Prathyusha, Monica Patel
India women's squad for SA T20I series
India women's T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sushma Verma (wicket-keeper), Nuzhat Parveen (wicket-keeper), Ayushi Soni, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, C. Prathyusha, Simran Dil Bahadur
IND W vs SA W: A look at the schedule
SA Women are scheduled to play five ODIs and three T20Is in Lucknow, starting March 7. The five ODI will take place on March 7, 9, 12, 14 and 17, while the three T20Is will be played on March 20, 21 and 23 respectively. This will be the first international series for India Women since the final of the T20 WC in March 2020.
