India will play three ODIs and two T20Is in Australia © PTI
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sushma Verma was recalled to the ODI squad, while Shubhlakshmi Sharma and Latika Kumari were left out of the T20 squad that will travel to Australia for the limited-overs series later this month. Sushma, who last played an ODI in 2014, impressed in the T20 series against New Zealand. Interestingly, R Kalpana, the wicketkeeper, who made her international debut in the same series, also found a place in the ODI squad.
Thirush Kamini and Niranjana Nagarajan were picked in the T20I squad, while allrounder Deepti Sharma was dropped from the ODI squad, but made the cut for the T20I squad. Surprisingly, only three pacers were picked in both squads that will be led by Mithali Raj.
With just two wins in nine matches, India heads into the three-match ODI series placed eighth in the ICC Women’s World Championship table. While the top four teams gain direct entry to the Women’s World Cup in 2017, the bottom four teams will play with four qualifiers to determine the four remaining spots.
India will kick off the tour with the T20s starting on Australia Day (January 26) at the MCG. Both matches will be double-headers, with the men’s game following soon after.
This is the first tour for the India women’s team since becoming fully professional following the awarding of contracts by the BCCI in November.
ODI squad: Mithali Raj (capt), Jhulan Goswami (vice-capt), Smriti Mandhana, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Niranjana Nagarajan, Sushma Verma, Ravi Kalpana (wk), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Raut, Poonam Yadav, Sneh Rana.
T20I squad: Mithali Raj (capt), Jhulan Goswami (vice-capt), Smriti Mandhana, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Niranjana Nagarajan, Sushma Verma (wk), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Vellaswamy Vanitha, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo