Sushma Verma re-called to India ODI squad for tour of Windies

All-India Women’s Selection Committee met on Friday (September 27) in Surat to pick the team for three ODIs in Antigua and five T20Is in St Lucia and Guyana.

The 26-year-old, who last played against England in April last year, is the only inclusion to the team that was announced for the forthcoming 50-overs series against South Africa in Baroda. Verma was the first choice wicket-keeper in the Mithali Raj-led India squad that finished as runners-up at the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 after falling nine runs short to the eventual champions England.

Most recently she was chosen to lead the Board President's XI team for the two warm-up matches against South Africa on the back of a stellar domestic season with the bat. Having worked incredibly hard on her batting, Verma showcased her improved skills in the Women's T20 Challenge final with an unbeaten 40 that almost helped Velocity clinch the title.

The wicket-keeper is the only addition to the ODI team that is set to take on South Africa in three ODIs beginning on October 9. She joins Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Dayalan Hemalatha, Punam Raut, Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and uncapped Priya Punia as the ODI 'specialists' on the tour.

Meanwhile, the T20I squad remains unchanged from the ongoing series against South Africa in Surat. The management will continue to back the pace quartet of Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Mansi Joshi and Arundhati Reddy, while Poonam Yadav, Radhan Yadav, Deepti Sharma and Anuja Patil form the spin group. Taniya Bhatia is the lone 'keeper in the Harmanpreet Kaur-led T20I team. 15-year-old Shafali Verma also retains her place.

All three ODIs will be part of the ICC Women's Championship with each match worth two points. The T20Is on the other hand, while not worth any points, will of course be key in the team's preparation going in to the Women's T20 World Cup in Australia next year.

 

ODI squad: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Punam Raut, D Hemalatha, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Mansi Joshi, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Priya Punia, Sushma Verma

T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Veda Krishnamurthy, Anuja Patil, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Mansi Joshi, Arundhati Reddy