The Indian selectors are about to unveil the squad for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, which is coming up soon. There won’t be many big surprises. The team is likely to keep its core group, which has gained confidence following a recent series win in England and excellent play from the India A squad.
Harmanpreet Kaur is likely to be the team’s captain, and Smriti Mandhana, who is going to her third World Cup, will be a prominent player at the top of the order. Pratika Rawal, a 24-year-old batter who made her debut last December, has also become a breakout sensation for the club.
Familiar names like Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, and wicketkeeper-batters Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia make the batting lineup even stronger. Bhatia recently made a name for himself by becoming the top run-scorer for India A versus Australia A. Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur are both quite versatile, which will also be a big help to the squad.
The batting seems good, but the bowling is still a worry, especially the health of top seamer Renuka Singh Thakur. India has used her ability to swing the new ball as a vital weapon, and she is very important to the team’s speed attack. The spin department, on the other hand, is quite strong, with experienced players like Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, N. Shree Charani, and Radha Yadav eager to take advantage of the home conditions.
The selectors’ job now is to make the squad better. The main concern is whether or not to add the unreliable yet explosive Shafali Verma as a backup and how to handle the pace assault without Renuka Singh Thakur. India has a good chance of winning the title on their home turf because they have a strong batting core and a strong spin attack.