Is Shafali Verma Making Her Way Back to India's T20I Squad for the England Tour?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Shafali Verma returns to India's T20I squad.
- India will face England in five T20Is and three ODIs.
- Sayali Satghare strengthens the bowling lineup.
- New leadership in the England team adds to the competition.
- This tour is crucial for preparations ahead of the ODI World Cup.
Mumbai, May 15 (NationPress) Dynamic opener Shafali Verma is set to return to India's T20I lineup for the upcoming tour of England, which kicks off on June 28. India is scheduled to compete in five T20Is and three ODIs against England, who have recently appointed Nat Sciver-Brunt as their new captain and Charlotte Edwards as head coach.
While Shafali is included solely for the T20I matches, pacer Sayali Satghare has been named in both formats, adding strength to India's pace attack, which has been affected by injuries to Renuka Singh Thakur and Titas Sadhu.
Shafali's absence from the national team followed the T20 World Cup in the UAE, where India did not progress to the semi-finals. However, her impressive performances in domestic 20-over and 50-over games saw her score 304 runs from nine innings at a remarkable strike rate of 152.76 for Delhi Capitals (DC) in WPL 2025, where she ranked fourth in the run-scorers list.
This exceptional showing in the WPL has prompted the Neetu David-led selection committee to reinstate Shafali into the T20I squad. In addition to Shafali and Sayali, newcomers Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay, and Kranti Goud have also been included in the T20I team, while Sneh Rana, Harleen Deol, and Amanjot Kaur return after various periods away.
For the ODIs, the selectors have largely kept the squad intact from the recent tri-series victory in Sri Lanka, which included South Africa as the third team. The three ODIs against England will serve as a crucial opportunity for India to refine their strategies ahead of the ODI World Cup scheduled for September-October on home soil.
The five T20Is will take place across various venues including Trent Bridge, Bristol County Ground, The Oval, Old Trafford, and Edgbaston from June 28 to July 12. The three ODIs are set to unfold in Southampton, Lord’s, and Chester-le-Street from July 16-22.
India’s women's T20I squad for the England tour: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, and Sayali Satghare.
India's ODI Squad for the England tour: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, and Sayali Satghare.