Harmanpreet Kaur (right) has captained India in three ODIs and six T20Is so far © IDI/Getty Images
Allrounder Harmanpreet Kaur has been named captain of the India women’s T20 team and will lead the side in the home series against West Indies and the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Thailand next month. Mithali Raj, meanwhile, will lead the side in the home ODIs against West Indies, which starts on November 10, and will play as a batsman in the Asia Cup and the T20s.
Harmanpreet has captained India in three ODIs and six T20Is. Her previous stint in charge of a full series was at home against Bangladesh women in 2012-13 after Raj was dropped from the side. Kaur’s last appearance as captain in a T20I was in March 2014, when she stood in for Raj in the third match of the side’s tour to Bangladesh, prior to the Women’s World T20.
Allrounder Mona Meshram, legspinner Devika Vaidya and left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht were recalled to the squad for the West Indies ODIs, which also includes uncapped seamer Sukanya Parida. While Meshram last played for India in April 2013, Vaidya is uncapped in ODIs, having played one T20I for the side in November 2014. Bisht had missed the home ODIs against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
The T20 squad for the West Indies matches and the Asia Cup includes uncapped seamers Sabbhineni Meghana and Mansi Joshi, and wicketkeeper-batsman Nuzhat Parween, along with Preeti Bose, who played her sole ODI in February 2016 against Sri Lanka Women. The only change in the two T20 teams is the inclusion of wicketkeeper Sushma Verma for the Asia Cup at the expense of offspinner Deepti Sharma.
The ODI series against West Indies will be played between November 10 and 16, followed by the T20I series from November 18. The three ODIs will be counted for points in the ICC Women’s Championship and are the last matches for the teams in the tournament. West Indies, currently placed third, will look to confirm their automatic qualification for the 2017 Women’s World Cup with a finish in the top four, while India, currently sixth, are likely to finish in the bottom half of the table.
The six-team Asia Cup will be played from November 27 to December 5, and will feature Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Nepal.
India squad for WI ODIs: Mithali Raj (capt), Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Thirush Kamini, Mona Meshram, Veda Krishnamurthy, Devika Vaidya, Sushma Verma (wk), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Sukanya Parida, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Deepti Sharma
Squad for WI T20Is: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Sabbhineni Meghana, Vellaswamy Vanitha, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Nuzhat Parween (wk), Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav, Preeti Bose, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Mansi Joshi
Squad for Asia Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Sabbhineni Meghana, Vellaswamy Vanitha, Anuja Patil, Veda Krishnamurthy, Sushma Verma (wk), Nuzhat Parween, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Preeti Bose, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Mansi Joshi
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo