Are Indian Women Ready for the Upcoming T20I Series Against Sri Lanka?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Indian women's team resumes training at BCCI Centre of Excellence.
- Preparations for the T20I series against Sri Lanka are underway.
- Renuka Thakur returns to the squad after injury.
- Vaishnavi Sharma earns her first T20I call-up.
- The series is crucial for building momentum towards the T20 World Cup.
Visakhapatnam, Dec 19 (NationPress) Following their remarkable success in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, the Indian women’s cricket team has returned to the BCCI Centre of Excellence to prepare for the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka Women, which kicks off on Sunday (Dec 21) in Visakhapatnam.
The squad remains largely unchanged from the team that celebrated their victory in the ODI World Cup, with many of the players still in the lineup for the T20I matches.
On Friday, the full team engaged in a vigorous training session in Vizag in anticipation of the series opener.
Notably, Renuka Thakur is back in the squad after recovering from an injury that sidelined her during the previous T20I series against England. Additionally, the team welcomes Vaishnavi Sharma, a promising 19-year-old, who has received her first call-up to the T20I squad.
The young spinner, who topped the wicket-taking charts during this year’s ICC Under-19 Women’s Cricket World Cup with 17 wickets, enjoyed a special birthday celebration following the training session.
This series marks the first competitive outing for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team since their ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 victory last month, serving as a stepping stone towards the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to commence on June 1 in England and Wales.
The last T20I series for India occurred during their tour of England in early July, where they emerged victorious with a 3-2 series win.
India boasts a strong track record against Sri Lanka, having secured 20 victories in 26 encounters, with the last Sri Lankan win on Indian soil dating back to 2014. Coincidentally, that match also took place in Visakhapatnam, which will host the first two games of the upcoming T20I series.
The Indian women's cricket team is set to take the field for the first time since their win against South Africa in the ICC Women's ODI World Cup final at the Dr D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur, Richa Ghosh (WK), G Kamalini (WK), Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma