Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia and spin-bowling allrounder Shreyanka Patil have been included in India’s T20 World Cup squad, the BCCI announced on Tuesday (August 27). The pair’s inclusion in the 15-member squad, however, is subject to fitness.
Patil had suffered a fracture to a finger of her left hand during India’s Asia Cup 2024 opener against Pakistan in July. She managed to bowl 3.2 overs in the match, and wrapped up the innings as she picked up 2 for 14.
Bhatia, on the other hand, has been undergoing rehab for a knee injury at the NCA in Bengaluru. She suffered a hamstring injury during India’s Bangladesh tour in April earlier this year, and featured in just one game scoring 36 as an opener.
The rest of the squad is on expected lines as the selectors have retained their faith in the bulk of the squad that played the Women’s Asia Cup final.
Left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar, who replaced Patil in the Asia Cup side, and backup ‘keeper Uma Chetry are the ones making the way, but have been named travelling reserves, alongside Saima Thakor. Raghvi Bist and Priya Mishra, currently on a multi-format tour of Australia for the India A side, have been named non-travelling reserves.
India will begin their campaign against New Zealand on October 4 in Dubai.
India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk)*, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajana Sajeevan
Travelling Reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwar, Saima Thakor
Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra
