Harmanpreet Kaur, Renuka Singh Rested for Ireland ODIs; Shafali Verma Left Out Again
The BCCI announced on Monday that captain Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Singh Thakur have been rested for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland. In Harmanpreet’s absence, Smriti Mandhana will lead the team, with the series set to begin on January 10 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
Harmanpreet is recovering from a knee injury sustained during the home series against the West Indies last month, which had sidelined her for the final two T20Is. She returned to play the subsequent ODI matches. Renuka, who was the player of the series in the ODIs against the West Indies with 10 wickets from three matches, has been rested as a precaution due to her past struggles with a stress fracture in her back.
Shafali Verma Overlooked Again
Explosive opener Shafali Verma has been omitted from the squad despite her stellar form. She was the leading run-scorer in the senior women’s one-day trophy, amassing 527 runs in seven innings at an average of 75.28 and a strike rate of 152.31. Shafali made headlines with a stunning 197 off 115 balls for Haryana in the quarterfinals, though her efforts couldn’t prevent Bengal from chasing the target with five wickets and five balls to spare.
Shafali was previously dropped for the ODI series against Australia and the West Indies. During the Australia series, Priya Punia and Richa Ghosh opened with Smriti, but the experiment failed as India lost 3-0. Against the West Indies, India debuted 24-year-old Pratika Rawal, who scored 134 runs in three innings, including a notable 76 in the second match. Rawal formed a strong 110-run opening partnership with Smriti in the first two ODIs.
India’s Squad 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
