Smriti Mandhana’s 2024 aggregate was the highest women’s cricket has ever seen in a year. (Photo Credit: PTI)
The year 2025 promises a lot for cricket enthusiasts. And fans of women’s cricket in particular will be watching proceedings closely with the 50-over World Cup set to take place this year.
With India hosting the World Cup, all eyes will be on the women in blue, who are still in the process of figuring out the right combinations for the marquee event.
Their first assignment, however, is a 3-match ODI series against Ireland, set to begin on the 10th of January at Rajkot.
Squad news: Harmanpreet and Renuka rested
From the West Indies series, the squad remains largely unchanged except for the two big names being rested for this series.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and leading fast bowler Renuka Singh have both been rested and Smriti Mandhana will take over the reins of captaincy in Kaur’s absence.
Pace-bowling allrounder Pooja Vastrakar, meanwhile, remains out of the squad owing to her injury. And it remains to be seen when she will be back as she, along with Deepti Sharma, provide India with depth in batting and options with the ball as well.
Deepti Sharma has been promoted to deputise Smriti in the ODI series as the vice-captain of the team.
Interestingly, Shafali Verma, who was axed from the Indian squad following a series of poor performances, continues to be sidelined, and so is Arundhati Reddy, who was dropped after the India women’s disappointing tour to Australia, where they lost 3-0 in the ODI series.
Tejal Hasabnis makes her way back into the squad and the series will mark her return since her debut against New Zealand back in October 2024.
Opener Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol, both of whom were impressive in the recently concluded West Indies series, retain their spots at the top order, and Jemimah Rodrigues will be looking to get more runs under her belt in her new role as the team’s ‘aggressive’ middle order batter.
The bowling unit remains the same, with the impressive Titas Sadhu and leg spinner Priya Mishra, along with Deepti will be looked at as the key bowlers for India in this series.
A surprising story is that of Radha Yadav, who has been dropped from the Indian squad entirely, having not featured in the eleven since the New Zealand series.
It remains to be seen whether she, along with Shafali, remain in the management’s plans ahead of the World Cup.
India women’s team for the ODI series against Ireland
Smriti Mandhana (C), Deepti Sharma (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare
Schedule for the ODI series against Ireland
1st ODI: January 10
2nd ODI: January 12
3rd ODI: January 15
All three matches will be held at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
