ICC Women's World Cup 2022: BCCI Announces India's Squad, Mithali Raj To Lead The Team

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced a 15-member Indian women’s team squad for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 and New Zealand ODI series.

Veteran Indian player Mithali Raj will lead the Indian team for the last time before she retires from international cricket at the end of the World Cup in April.

Mithali Raj to lead India’s squad in Women’s World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur will be Mithali’s deputy for both the World Cup and the New Zealand series.

Smriti Mandhana and prodigious talented player Shafali Verma are likely to open the innings for India with Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh will be lined up in the middle-order along with Mithali and Harmanpreet.

Senior bowler Jhulan Goswami will lead India’s bowling attack in the marquee event as Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav and Sneh Rana will lend thei4 support to her in the bowling department.

Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues were left out of the World Cup squad

Andhra Pradesh batter Sabbhineni Meghana, Uttarakhand bowler Ekta Bisht and Delhi spinner Simran Bahadur have been named as the stand-by players for the World Cup and New Zealand ODIs.

Pace bowler Shikha Pandey, in-form batter Jemimah Rodrigues and Karnataka all-rounder Veda Krishnamurthy are the prominent absentees from the squad.

India will kick-off their World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Bay Oval on March 6. Before the World Cup, the Mithali Raj-led Indian side will play hosts New Zealand in five-match ODI series that starts on February 11.

“The All-India Women’s Selection Committee on Wednesday picked the squad for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022. Team India play their first World Cup fixture against Pakistan on March 6th, 2022 at the Bay Oval, Tauranga. The squad will also feature in the 5-match ODI series against New Zealand starting from 11th February 2022,” BCCI issued a statement.

Indian Women’s World Cup: Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav.

Standby Players: Sabbhineni Meghana, Ekta Bisht, Simran Dil Bahadur.

Also Read: Smriti Mandhana Is The Ideal Candidate To Lead India After Mithali Raj’s Retirement, Says Shantha Rangaswamy