On Saturday (9 February), the selectors announced the full-member Indian Women squad for the upcoming three-match home ODI series against England Women.
This series will begin on 22 February, and it will be a part of ICC Women’s Championship. In the points table of ICC Women’s Championship, India Women are standing in number three position (12 points in 12 matches) and England Women are standing in number five position (10 points in nine games). The forthcoming series is going to be crucial for both teams. They will play all the ODIs of the series at Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai).
Earlier, last April, they played a similar three-match ODI series in India. India Women won that home series by 2-1, but that series wasn’t a part of ICC Women’s Championship. Those matches were played at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium (Nagpur). While India Women won the first and third ODI of that series, the visiting side won only the second ODI.
The Indian Women’s cricket team is running in a great form at present. They have won all of their last three ODI series, including the home series victory against England in last April. Recently, India Women won the three-match ODI series against the hosts New Zealand Women by 2-1.
On the other hand, England Women won their last two home ODI series, against South Africa and New Zealand. So, the upcoming series is going to be a tough fight between the two in-form teams.
Ahead of the upcoming ODI series, England Women will play a 50-over tour game against Board President’s XI. In the meantime, the BCCI also announced the Board President’s squad for that tour game.
Full squads
India Women’s squad for ODI series: Mithali Raj (Captain), Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), R Kalpana (wicket-keeper), Mona Meshram, Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Mansi Joshi, Punam Raut.
Board President’s XI: Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Veda Krishnamurthy, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Bharati Fulmali, Komal Zanzad, R Kalpana, Priya Punia, Harleen Deol, Reemalaxmi Ekka, Manali Dakshini, Minnu Mani, Tanuja Kanwar.
The full schedule of India Women vs England Women ODI series
(Only 50-over tour match)
18 February: Indian Board President’s Women XI vs England – Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)
(Three-match ODI series)
22 February: First ODI – Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)
25 February: Second ODI – Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)
28 February: Third ODI – Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)