Chandigarh: Almost three months ago, the men’s team led by Rohit Sharma ended their 13-year wait for an ICC Cricket World Cup trophy when they beat South Africa by seven runs to lift the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Now, India will hope that the women’s cricket team will break its duck too.

The ICC T20 World Cup which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between October 3-20 in Dubai and Sharjah will present the team with an opportunity to win the elusive silverware.

On Tuesday, the BCCI named a 15-member India team for the tournament with Harmanpreet Kaur being named captain and Smriti Mandhana as her deputy. There are no new faces in the team as the selectors have opted for a settled squad.

India haven’t really played some of the stronger international teams in the last six months and that might hold them back in the tournament. But there is little about the opponents that is a mystery. The familiarity should help the team.

Harmanpreet and Co will hope that the work they have put into the fielding and bowling department shows at the World Cup.

Wicket-keeper batter Yastika Bhatia and all-rounder Shreyanka Patil have been included in the squad subject to fitness while wicket-keeper Uma Chetry and Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor have been put in the travelling reserves.

The 23-match event will feature the top 10 women’s teams in the world, who will be divided into two groups of five each.

Group A contains defending champion Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, and Scotland. Each team will play four group matches, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

India will open its campaign against New Zealand on October 4 and will play Pakistan on October 6.

India is also scheduled to play two warm-up games against South Africa and West Indies.

Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia* (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajeevan Sajana

Travelling reserves: Tanuja Kanwar, Uma Chetry, Saima Thakor. Non-travelling reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra

* Subject to fitness

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