Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap (T20Is) and Saika Ishaque (both T20Is and Test) have earned maiden call-ups as India named theri squads for the T20Is series against England and Test matches against England and Australia on Friday (December 1). Renuka Singh Thakur, who missed the Bangladesh tour and Asian Games due to injury, has also been named in both the squads.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Karnataka allrounder Patil has been impressive during the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) with her batting and bowling efforts. Then she went on to represent Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) and ended the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with nine wickets to her name at an average of 11.66 from five matches.
Left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque plays for Bengal in domestic cricket and had a breakout year with Mumbai Indians in WPL 2023. She picked up 15 wickets from ten matches at a bowling average of 16.26 and was insturmental in Mumbai winning the title.
19-year-old Kashyap was part of the Under-19 World Cup winning squad when India lifted the inaugural trophy in South Africa. The left-arm spinner from Punjab has also been part of the India A squad that's currently playing England A in Mumbai and she also represented India in the Emerging Asia Cup.
With these three making it to the side, leg spinner Devika Vaidya and left-arm spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Anusha Bareddy have been dropped for the three-match T20I series. Baroda and Mumbai Indians wicket-keeper Yastika Bhatia has also made a comeback to the 16-member team in place of uncapped Uma Chetry.
27-year-old Thakur has been India's strike bowler before she got injured and will lead the pace attack comprising of young Titas Sadhu and Pooja Vastrakar in both formats. In T20Is, they will have allrounder Amanjot Kaur for company and Meghan Singh replace the former in the Test side for England and Australia.
India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Pooja Vastrakar, Kanika Ahuja, Minnu Mani
India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Shubha Satheesh, Harleen Deol, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar