Former India captain Anjum Chopra has praised the BCCI's decision to run a shadow women's India 'A' tour alongside the senior team's Women's T20 World Cup campaign in England, calling it a sign of systematic planning — one reinforced by recent coaching appointments at the Centre of Excellence (CoE). Speaking on Friday, 12 June, Chopra said the concurrent tours represent a structural shift in how Indian cricket now manages its talent pipeline.

India 'A' Schedule and Key Names

Anushka Sharma, who made her T20I debut on the South Africa tour in April, will captain India 'A' for three T20s against England 'A'. Those matches are scheduled in Northampton on 20 June and 23 June, followed by a third fixture in Chelmsford on 25 June. Harleen Deol will take charge for the three one-day games beginning 28 June in Hove and Taunton.

Among the notable inclusions is Deeya Yadav, a 16-year-old who featured for Delhi Capitals in the WPL before injury intervened. G. Kamalini and Uma Chetry have been named as wicketkeeper-batters in both squads, alongside left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who made her India debut last year. Pratika Rawal will serve as vice-captain in the 50-over games, while Vrinda Dinesh of Karnataka has been named Anushka's deputy in the T20 format.

What Anjum Chopra Said

'The entire top brass of Indian cricket — players from India A, B, men and women — are in the UK playing a series. From June onwards till the end of July, everybody who plays cricket in India at the India senior and A level is actually going to be there in the UK,' Chopra said. She highlighted the logistical advantage of proximity: 'If somebody gets injured, you can just get in a quick replacement if needed. That is the biggest plus when you are playing shadow tours.'

Chopra also underscored the developmental value for emerging players. 'Whether it is Nikki Prasad, Anushka Sharma, Shabnam Shakil and anyone else, they get valuable outing and match experience and international cricket-like experience when they play on all these tours,' she said.

A Structural Shift for Women's Cricket

Chopra noted that the availability of concurrent A tours marks a significant departure from earlier practice. 'Earlier, there were no A tours. Now, wherever the Indian team is playing, I think 6, 8, or even 12 months prior — or simultaneously as the Indian senior women's team is there — the shadow tour is there, which is a great thing,' she said. She added that the planning extends beyond England: 'If India have to go and play in South Africa, there will be an India 'A' tour, something which would have happened probably 10 or 12 months earlier.'

This comes amid a broader push by the BCCI to professionalise the women's game, which has seen the launch of the Women's Premier League (WPL) and a steady increase in bilateral series. The shadow-tour model mirrors a long-established practice on the men's side, now being systematically applied to women's cricket.

CoE Coaching Appointments Welcomed

Chopra also welcomed the induction of former India players into the CoE coaching setup. Nooshin Al Khadeer — a two-time U19 World Cup-winning head coach — along with Sunetra Paranjpe and Vanitha VR have been appointed to the CoE. The trio were reported to have been appointed on 14 May, and are understood to be primarily involved with the U19 women's team, which is set to play white-ball matches against Sri Lanka from 22 June to 6 July in Chennai and Puducherry.

'Nooshin has been around with the Under-19 team since 2023 or maybe since the preparation started. It's nice that Sunetra has also joined, and Vanitha has also taken part,' Chopra said. She added that the cross-pollination of knowledge within the CoE — where women coaches observe men's preparation methods — could prove valuable: 'Obviously, all this information gets passed on to the women's players, and I hope it does and that information is shared.'

With the Women's T20 World Cup underway and a full A-tour programme running in parallel, India's women's cricket ecosystem is entering what could be its most structured development phase yet.