The BCCI has announced India women’s team squad for the ODI series against New Zealand. Surprisingly, Harmanpreet Kaur has been retained as the captain despite the board hinting at the change of guard after the side’s miserable T20 World Cup campaign. Meanwhile, three stars – Richa Ghosh, Pooja Vastrakar and Asha Shobana – will miss the three-match series.
Harmanpreet Kaur to lead India in ODIs vs NZ
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, D Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Sayali Satgare, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Tejal Hasabnis, Saima Thakor, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil.
As per the BCCI, Richa Ghosh will miss the series due to their standard 12 exams. Asha Shobana is nursing an injury and hence will not take part in the series while Pooja Vastrakar has been rested. Smriti Mandhana has been named Harmanpreet’s deputy.
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Harmanpreet Kaur survives the axe
Earlier, reports suggested that the BCCI would meet with the selection committee and head coach Amol Mazumdar to decide on the future of Harmanpreet as the captain. Kaur first took over the T20 captaincy in 2016 following India’s group-stage exit in the tournament held on home soil. Under her leadership, the team reached the knockouts in several ICC events, including the final of the 2020 T20 World Cup.
While Harmanpreet’s place in the Indian squad is secure, her position as captain is now under serious review. “The BCCI will certainly discuss whether to have a new captain on board going ahead,” said a source within the Indian board to Indian Express. “Harmanpreet will continue to be an important member of the team, but the BCCI feels it’s time for transition.”
Despite entering the T20 World Cup with a strong squad, India’s hopes were dashed after losing to New Zealand in their opening match, a result that severely affected their chances of reaching the semi-finals. A subsequent defeat to Australia sealed their fate, leaving the team with just two wins from four matches.
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