IND-W vs SA-W: India’s squad for SA multi-format series announced, Rodrigues and Vastrakar’s selection subject to fitness

India will host South Africa women’s cricket team for a multi-format series, including a Test match, three ODIS and as many T20Is.

FILE PHOTO: Jemimah Rodrigues (l) of India and Pooja Vastrakar of India in action. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI/ The Hindu

The Women’s Selection Committee on Thursday announced India’s squad for the upcoming multi-format series against South Africa.

The seasoned Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar were on Thursday included in the Indian teams for the upcoming multi-format series against South Africa subject to fitness while top-order batter Priya Punia returned to the ODI side.

Harmanpreet Kaur is the captain and Smriti Mandhana as her deputy.

“The selection of Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar is subject to fitness,” the BCCI said in a statement.

Punia last played for India in an ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur last July. She is also part of the Test squad.

Left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque, who played for India after a successful WPL last year and also figured in the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh in April-May, has been kept on standby.

India will host South Africa women’s cricket team for a multi-format series, including a Test match after almost a decade, from June 16 and July 9.

The series will consist of a Test, three ODIs and as many T20Is.

The one-dayers will be played at Bengaluru, while the one-off Test and T20Is will be held at Chennai.

The ODIs are a part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022–2025.

The white-ball format matches were originally a part of the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) in late 2023, but they had to be pushed ahead because of the 50-over Men’s ODI World Cup held in India last year.

India’s ODI squad for three-match ODI series:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues *, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Dayalan Hemalatha, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque, Pooja Vastrakar *, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Priya Punia

India’s Test squad for one-off Test:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Shubha Satheesh, Jemimah Rodrigues *, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar *, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Priya Punia

India’s squad for three-match T20I series:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Dayalan Hemalatha, Uma Chetry (WK), Richa Ghosh (WK), Jemimah Rodrigues *, Sajana Sajeevan, Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Asha Sobhana, Pooja Vastrakar *, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy

Standby: Saika Ishaque

*The selection of Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar is subject to fitness.