India’s wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh will miss the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand as she prepares for her Class 12 board exams. Ghosh, who turned 21 recently, has been a regular in India’s international setup since making her debut at just 16 in 2020.
Harmanpreet Kaur has retained India’s captaincy for the three-match ODI series, scheduled in Ahmedabad on October 24, 27, and 29. Kaur’s captaincy has come under scrutiny following India’s group-stage exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE, where an early defeat against New Zealand derailed their campaign.
With Ghosh unavailable, the Women’s Selection Committee has named a 16-member squad, featuring four new faces. Seam-bowling allrounders Sayali Satghare and Saima Thakor, legspinner Priya Mishra, and middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis have earned maiden call-ups. Saima was a travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup, while Priya was listed as a non-traveling reserve for the tournament.
Apart from Ghosh, legspinner Asha Sobhana is also missing from the squad due to an injury, and Pooja Vastrakar has been rested for the series. Harmanpreet Kaur will continue as captain, with Smriti Mandhana serving as her deputy. India’s T20 World Cup campaign ended on a disappointing note after a narrow nine-run loss to defending champions Australia, preventing them from reaching the semifinals. Following the debacle, the selection committee has injected fresh talent into the squad, with the newcomers impressing during India A’s multi-format tour of Australia earlier this year.
Despite the changes, most of the T20 World Cup squad members have been retained for the ODI series. However, Sajana Sajeevan’s absence from the squad went unaddressed in the BCCI’s official release. Sajeevan, who featured in two matches during the T20 World Cup against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, was dropped for the final group-stage match against Australia.
The first ODI will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium on October 24, followed by the second and third matches on October 27 and 29 at the same venue.
India Women Squad for ODI Series Against New Zealand:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, D Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Sayali Satghare, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Tejal Hasabnis, Saima Thakor, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil.