India squad for Women's T20 World Cup: Shikha Pandey adds necessary experience, Sneh Rana's omission sticks out

India squad for Women's T20 World Cup: Shikha Pandey adds necessary experience, Sneh Rana's omission sticks out

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Dec 30, 2022 - 10:19
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India squad for Women's T20 World Cup: Shikha Pandey adds necessary experience, Sneh Rana's omission sticks out
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A day after men’s team selectors pulled a surprise, the India women’s team followed suit, albeit with a couple of eye-popping decisions. Pacer Shikha Pandey is back after being ignored for 14 months and the 33-year-old veteran deserves the comeback to the fullest. Her addition also brings in the much-required experience to the India squad and pace bowling department.

The seam attack is probably the most inexperienced part of the Indian team. Since Jhulan Goswami retired from T20Is and Mansi Joshi and Arundhati Reddy dropped from the scene, India had largely been relying on all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, rookies Renuka Singh and Meghna Singh to get the job done.

All this made Shikha Pandey’s prolonged absence even more mind-boggling. With 119 wickets across 104 international games, Shikha has the experience and credentials to be the leader of the pack but there are certain mysteries in Indian cricket that are impossible to decode.

Nonetheless, the selectors have opted for course correction which has been a result of the combination of Shikha doing well in domestic cricket and Indian pacers struggling recently against Australia in the 4-1 T20I series loss at home.

Leaking 12.26 runs on an average in the last eight overs against the Aussies, Indian pacers failed to control the proceedings, leaving captain Harmanpreet Kaur to rue the fact that the team doesn’t have a bowling coach.

“I know we are missing a bowling coach but our bowlers are taking charge,” Harmanpreet had said after the second defeat in the T20I series.

Head coach Ramesh Powar, who also looked after the bowlers, was removed from his post days ahead of the Australia series and since then only a batting coach, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, has been appointed.

In that light, Shikha’s inclusion not only brings in a bowler who can swing the ball and take wickets but also brings in a veteran who can be a mentor to someone like Anjali Sarvani who debuted this month.

Making her case stronger is her recent domestic performances where she took 11 wickets in seven matches of senior women’s domestic T20 competition and five in three games of inter-zonal T20s.

Rana misses out

Shikha’s inclusion could prove to be a masterstroke but at the same time, one feels the selectors missed a big trick by not picking off-spin bowling all-rounder Sneh Rana in the reserves.

Most of the players in the squad pick themselves barring maybe Radha Yadav. With just one wicket in five games against Australia, Radha didn’t really do much to further her case but selectors seem to think otherwise. Rana, who has 19 wickets from 14 T20Is this year as compared to Radha’s 11 in 20, does look unlucky to miss out on a spot in the squad.

More importantly, Rana’s big match and big tournament temperament are what India will be missing more in South Africa during the tournament. Rana was India’s second-highest wicket-taker with seven scalps when the team won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, and took 10 wickets in the ODI World Cup in New Zealand, again second best for India behind Rajeshwari Gayakwad (11). Not to forget she is also a handy batter.

Fight for some spots

Jemimah Rodrigues is India’s first-choice No 3 batter, but with just 28 runs in the last four matches, India were forced to “rest” her for the fifth T20I against Australia where her replacement Harleen Deol scored a quickfire 24 off 16 balls. This is going to be a contest to look forward to.

The tri-series in South Africa ahead of the T20 World Cup could decide who will be India’s No 3 at the ICC event.

Also, it will be interesting to see what kind of pace-spin combo India opts for in South Africa. The conditions might suit pacers, but India have historically relied on spinners to win matches. In case injured pace bowling all-rounder Vastrakar fails to recover in time, the team balance could take a hit with the team managed being forced into playing an extra bowler.

The 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup starts on 10 February and the final is scheduled for 26 February. India start their campaign on 12 February against Pakistan. India’s Group B also includes England, West Indies and Ireland.

India will be playing a tri-series in South Africa before the World Cup in January against the hosts and West Indies.

India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Radha Yadav, Renuka Thakur, Anjali Sarvani, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shikha Pandey

Reserves: S Meghana, Sneh Rana, Meghna Singh.

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