New Delhi: There might be little room for surprises as Indian selectors get collectively to unveil the squad for the upcoming ICC Girls’s ODI World Cup.
With confidence from a memorable ODI away sequence win in England and loads of positives to take from the India A squad in opposition to Australia A, the core group is more likely to be retained. A rejuvenated captain Harmanpreet Kaur will as soon as once more be on the helm of a aspect brimming with batting depth however nonetheless trying to find some chew with the ball.
Harmanpreet’s management is predicted to be complemented by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who might be that includes in her third World Cup on this format. The left-handed opener, in residence circumstances the place she averages 43.51, stays India’s finest wager to blunt opposition assaults early.
Alongside her, 24-year-old Pratika Rawal has shortly turn out to be the crew’s breakout star. The Delhi batter who solely made her debut in December final yr has already illustrated her capacity to clear the sphere with out slogging and a slightly technically sound method.
The intrigue, although, surrounds Shafali Verma. As soon as India’s storm on the prime of the order, the 21-year-old discovered herself on the fringes after a lean patch. She managed to return to the fold with beautiful performances within the home circuit however coach Amol Muzumdar additionally made it clear throughout the England sequence that whereas Shafali might be a part of the core group, their precedence might be Rawal. It’s as much as the selectors to weigh her capacity to take down assaults on her day in opposition to her regular inconsistency.
The supporting forged is each acquainted and dependable – Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol and wicketkeeper-batters Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia. Bhatia could not have featured within the ODIs in opposition to England however had a memorable outing in opposition to Australia A, ending because the main run-scorer for India with 167 runs in three matches.
Deepti Sharma, India’s skilled skilled, has additionally upped her batsmanship and might be a stable aide to the batting line-up. Together with Deepti, Amanjot Kaur’s utility with each bat and ball affords a steadiness that India had been looking for, particularly within the tempo division.
Sneh Rana’s comeback because the Girls’s Premier League final yr has solely seen an upward climb. India look nicely stocked in all-round versatility.
The batting affords choices aplenty however bowling stays the nagging fear. Renuka Singh Thakur’s health is the single-biggest query mark. The seamer’s capacity to swing the brand new ball has been India’s greatest weapon in recent times, and with out her, the assault has regarded barely quick on menace.
Ought to she slot again in, the seam group of Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare will look much more assured.
Spin, then again, is India’s consolation blanket. On turning pitches at residence, Deepti, Rana are seasoned campaigners at tying down batters. Leg-spinner N Shree Charani and left-arm spinner (and superhuman fielder) Radha Yadav, who has additionally been on a little bit of a comeback path of her personal, can bolster a fearsome spin assault.
Yadav got here in as a alternative to injured Shuchi Upadhyay and ticked fairly just a few bins in opposition to England. She took it a notch greater with each the bat and the ball as she led India A in opposition to Australia A.
The selectors’ job now’s extra about wonderful tuning. The batting core seems locked in; the one query being whether or not the administration is keen to roll the cube on Shafali, whilst back-up.
The tempo bowling largely hinges on Renuka’s restoration. However in residence circumstances, with Mandhana, Rawal, Jemimah and Deepti of their prime and probably some X-factor picks in Ghosh, Kranti and Amanjot, India have an opportunity to mount a title problem like by no means earlier than.
