Harmanpreet Kaur to lead as India announce 15-member squad for ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024

India will meet defending champions Australia in Sharjah for their last group game.

Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the Indian women’s team and Smriti Mandhana is her deputy for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. On Tuesday, the BCCI Women’s Selection Committee announced a 15-player squad for the upcoming women’s global event that will be played in the UAE from October 3 to 20.

The ninth edition of the tournament was originally scheduled to be played in Bangladesh. However, the ICC moved the tournament to the UAE due to the protests in Bangladesh.

10 teams will participate in the competition. Two groups have been formed of five teams each. Every side will play four group games and the top two teams from each group will proceed to the semi-finals.

India are placed in Group A along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Australia are the defending champions, having won the competition last year in South Africa.

Most of the players in India’s squad pick themselves. Apart from Kaur and Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Singh Thakur and Shreyanka Patil are first-choice players. Asha Sobhana and Radha Yadav are strong contenders to be in India’s first-choice XI.

Yastika Bhatia is the backup wicketkeeper. Batting all-rounders Sajana Sajeevan and Dayalan Hemalatha have also been picked. Arundhati Reddy is the third pacer in the squad.

Shreyanka and Yastika are recovering from injuries and hence their participation is subject to fitness clearance.

India have also named three travelling reserves and two non-travelling reserves.

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 (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk)*, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajana Sajeevan.

*Subject to fitness clearance

Travelling Reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor

Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra

India’s schedule for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024:

• October 4 India vs New Zealand, Dubai, 7:30 PM IST / 02:00 PM GMT / 06:00 PM LOCAL
• October 6 India vs Pakistan, Dubai, 3:30 PM IST / 10:00 AM GMT / 02:00 PM LOCAL
• October 9 India vs Sri Lanka, Dubai, 7:30 PM IST / 02:00 PM GMT / 06:00 PM LOCAL
• October 13 India vs Australia, Sharjah, 7:30 PM IST / 02:00 PM GMT / 06:00 PM LOCAL

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