Mumbai: A promising bunch of India Women’s ‘A’ players will look to utilise the most of the opportunity when they face their counterparts from England in a three-match T20 series, starting here Wednesday.
The second and third matches will be played December 1 and 3. All three matches will be held at the Wankhede Stadium here.
The three matches between the ‘A’ sides of India and England will be followed by a three-match T20I series and a one-off Test between the senior women’s teams of the two countries.
All the matches between the seniors sides will also be held in Mumbai, beginning with the first T20I December 6.
It is, in fact, going to be a busy season for the Indian women cricketers. The contests against the Englishwomen will be followed by a long tour of Australia women to India, comprising a one-off Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is.
With the India women’s senior squad yet to be announced, the 16-member India A side, led by Kerala’s Minnu Mani, will have extra motivation to do well in order to push for their selection in the senior team.
The 24-year-old all-rounder Mani has been given a huge responsibility, considering that she only made her international debut four months ago during India’s tour of Bangladesh in July.
Mani also played for Delhi Capitals in the inaugural Women’s Premier League.
The focus will also be on future India prospect, Karnataka’s Shreyanka Patil who had a promising run in the WPL earlier this year and also became the first Indian player ever to sign up for the Women’s Caribbean Premier League.
Among those to watch out for will be the young and dashing Punjab batter Kanika Ahuja, who delivered an all-round show — 30 runs and two wickets — in the final of the ACC’s Women’s Emerging Teams Cup.
Mannat Kashyap’s progress as a young off-spinner will also be under watch and among batters, the likes of G Trisha, Dinesh Vrinda, and Gnanananda Divya will be expected to deliver the goods.
While the visiting England A are yet to announce their squad for the series against India A, they are coming here after a training camp in Oman.
Among those who featured in the camp were exciting young fast bowlers Mahika Gaur, Charlie Dean, and Lauren Filer, who took a handful of wickets for England against Sri Lanka in their recent series.
India Women’s A: Minnu Mani (c), Kanika Ahuja, Uma Chetry (wk), Shreyanka Patil, G Trisha, Vrinda Dinesh, Gnanananda Divya, Arushi Goel, Disha Kasat, Rashi Kanojiya, Mannat Kashyap, Anusha Bareddy, Monica Patel, Kashavee Gautham, Jintimani Kalita, Prakashika Naik.
PTI