Smrithi Mandhana and Shaifali Verma
Mumbai: The Indian team for the Women’s T20 World Cup has been announced. The 15-member squad will be led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, with Malayali players Asha Shobhana and Sajna Sajeevan included in the team. Another Malayali player, Minnumani, could not secure a place in the team. Smriti Mandhana has been named the vice-captain.
Indian Team:
- Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain)
- Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain)
- Shafali Verma
- Deepti Sharma
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Richa Ghosh
- Yastika Bhatia
- Pooja Vastrakar
- Arundhati Reddy
- Renuka Singh Thakur
- Dayalan Hemalatha
- Asha Shobhana
- Radha Yadav
- Shreyanka Patil
- Sajna Sajeevan
Due to internal conflicts in Bangladesh, the tournament has been shifted to the UAE, starting on October 3. The opening match will see Bangladesh facing Scotland in Sharjah on October 3. India’s first match is scheduled for October 4 against New Zealand.
Group A consists of defending champions Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Group B includes South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, and Scotland. The final will take place in Dubai on October 20.
Sajna Sajeevan, who secured a spot in Team India’s Women’s World Cup squad, hails from Wayanad. Asha Shobhana is a native of Thiruvananthapuram. This marks a historic achievement as both players become the first Malayali women to be selected for a World Cup team. Asha Shobhana expressed her joy at being selected for the World Cup squad, sharing her happiness in having fellow Malayali player Sajna in the team. She also requested everyone’s prayers and stated that winning the World Cup for India is her biggest dream.
