Indian women's team likely to travel Australia for limited-overs series in September

The Indian women’s team is all set to travel to Australia for a bilateral series in September this year. The tour was earlier scheduled for January this year, however, the Covid-19 situation pushed it into uncertainty and it was postponed by both BCCI and CA’s mutual concern.

While the original tour comprised three ODIs, the new schedule has included as many T20I fixtures as well. The dates of the series are pending CA’s official announcement, however, Megan Schutt, Australian pacer, dropped a hint that India will be visiting them in September.

“We have got a tour against India in mid-September,” Schutt said on No Balls: The Cricket Podcast, hosted by Kate Cross and Alex Hartley, in an episode aired on May 13. “So, there’s a couple of camps. I believe we are doing one in Darwin, which will be really cool… and then the tour against India. And then pretty much from there, things get crazy with Big Bash, WNCL, Ashes, World Cup, and hopefully the Commonwealth Games.”

The BCCI, in its last Apex Council meeting, had also approved the tour of Australia ahead of the World Cup in New Zealand next year. A home series against the West Indies was also cleared.

India women set to tour England in June

Meanwhile, before the Women in Blue embark on the Australian tour, they are scheduled to tour England in June, which includes a one-off Test in Bristol. The tour will kickstart from June 16 and comprises three ODIs, which will be played on June 27, 30, and July 3 at Bristol, Taunton, and Worcester respectively. Both the team will then proceed for as many T20Is, which will be played on July 9, 11, and 15 at Northampton, Hove, and Chelmsford respectively.

Shafali Verma, the 17-year-old star batter, has earned a maiden call up in the ODI and Test squads, which were announced by the BCCI on Friday, while uncapped Indrani Roy has been included in both the squads as well. Further, both Taniya Bhatiya and Shikha Pandey will be making comeback after being ignored for the home series against South Africa earlier this year. The team will be led by Mithali Raj in the ODIs, while Harmanpreet Kaur will take charge in the T20Is.