India include top players for Women's T20 series vs Australia A ahead of Women’s World T20

A three-match T20 series will take place between India A and Australia A women’s teams in Mumbai next week and it will be a preparatory step for the Women in Blue for their World T20 campaign scheduled in the Windies next month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on October 20 confirmed that all top players will be available for the series that will be played at the Bandra Kurla Complex. All-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the India A side while batswoman Smriti Mandhana will be her deputy.

The Indian side also comprises veteran Mithali Raj, youngster Jemimah Rodrigues and experienced Veda Krishnamurthy, among others. The cricketers are currently sweating out at a camp at the Cricket Club of India which is supposed to conclude on October 21. The three T20 matches will be played on October 22, October 24 and October 26. The Indian women were recently beaten 3-0 by their Australian counterparts in the three-ODI series.

India take on NZ in World T20 on Nov 9

India will take on New Zealand in their first game of the World T20 in Providence on November 9. The two-time semi-finalists are clubbed in Group B of the tournament along with arch-rivals Pakistan, three-time champions Australia and Ireland, besides the Kiwis. The top two teams from two groups will advance to the semi-finals while the final will be played in North Sound on November 24.

The series against Australia A will give the Indian eves some valuable match practice, especially after the Indian team’s scheduled bilateral Twenty20 series against the Windies ahead of the mega tournament was cancelled owing to the hosts’ financial problems. The Indian women now have just one official warm-up game to play before the tournament begins.

The India A women’s squad:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Tanya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Mithali Raj, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Veda Krishnamurthy, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Ekta Bisht, D Hemalatha, Mansi Joshi, Pooja Vastrakar.

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