India Women’s squad for the World Cup 2017 announced

Captain Mithali Raj will lead the India Women’s team in the World Cup 2017 in England. The 15-player squad is pretty much similar to the team that is playing the Quadrangular series in South Africa. One major inclusion in the team was the comeback of left-handed batswoman Smriti Mandana.

She was earlier a part of the Women’s Big Bash League where the 20-year-old hurt her knee which not only ended her hopes of any further participation in the tournament they were allowed to take part for the first time but was subsequently also ruled out of the Quadrangular series that is underway. Another left-handed batter Devika Vaidya made way for Mandana in the squad.

19-year-old batter Deepti Sharma played a fantastic knock of 188; the second highest individual score in Women’s ODI cricket against Ireland Women on the selection day and that sealed her a spot in the team as well. The knock also saw Sharma and Poonam Raut stitch together a partnership of 320 runs; the highest partnership in Women’s cricket across all formats.

The Indian team who finished on the 7th spot in the previous edition of the World Cup hosted at home will want to improve their performance now that they are boosted by the inclusion of Mandana, the form of young Deepti and with the ever so consistent Jhulan Goswami also in the thick of wickets.

Team India’s schedule in Women’s World Cup:

June 24: England Women vs India Women, 2nd Match | County Ground, Derby | 3:00 PM

June 29: West Indies Women vs India Women, 7th Match | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 3:00 PM

July 2: India Women vs Pakistan Women, 11th Match | County Ground, Derby | 3:00 PM

July 5: Sri Lanka Women vs India Women, 14th Match | County Ground, Derby | 3:00 PM

July 8: South Africa Women vs India Women, 18th Match | Grace Road, Leicester | 3:00 PM

July 12: Australia Women vs India Women, 23rd Match | County Ground, Bristol | 3:00 PM

July 15: India Women vs New Zealand Women, 27th Match | County Ground, Derby | 3:00 PM

India Women’s Squad for World Cup 2017:

Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Punam Raut, Deepti Sharma, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Ekta Bisht, Sushma Verma, Mansi Joshi, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Nuzhat Parveen, Smriti Mandhana