New Delhi: Star batter Harmanpreet Kaur returned as India women’s team captain for the ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka starting later this month after she was rested for the home series against Ireland in January.
The BCCI women’s selection committee picked a 15-member squad with Smriti Mandhana as Harmanpreet’s deputy for the April 27 to May 11 tournament, which will also involve South Africa besides hosts Sri Lanka.
India will face Sri Lanka in the tournament opener on April 27. The teams will play four matches each in the double round-robin league event. The top two teams will qualify for the final which will be played on May 11.
All the matches will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Pacers Renuka Singh Thakur and Titas Sadhu have been injured and were not considered for selection, the BCCI said in a release.
The squad also includes uncapped players Kashvee Gautam, Sree Charani and Shuchi Upadhyay.
Harmanpreet was rested for the three-match ODI series (January 10-15) against the visiting Ireland, which India had won 3-0. Mandhana had led the side then with Deepti Sharma as her deputy.
Harmanpreet had injured her knee during the home series against the West Indies in December 2024, forcing her to sit out of the last two T20Is before returning to play three ODIs.
Before that, the 35-year-old had sustained a neck injury during the match against Pakistan in the Women’s T20 World Cup in October 2024.
However, the right-hander has led Mumbai Indians to the Women’s Premier League title last month.
Pacer Renuka was also rested for the Ireland series. She was the player of the series in the ODIs against the West Indies in December 2024 after taking 10 wickets from three matches. In the past, a stress fracture of the back had troubled her.
India’s squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Tejal Hasabnis, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay.
