India announced a 16-player ODI squad for their upcoming three-match series against Australia, to be played from December. The only major change in the side is the exclusion of opener Shafali Verma, who had struggled for form in the 50-over format this year. Verma, who has scored only 108 runs in six matches in 2024, has not scored a half-century in ODIs since 2022. Such inconsistent performance has brought her a place on the bench for this series against the defending world champions.
A look at #TeamIndia's ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Australia 👌👌#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/q0LRy53sSD
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Shafali Verma’s ODI Struggles
This is the second time in 2024 that Verma has been left out of the ODI setup. After she had been dropped in December 2023 and then again came into the team in June with Smriti Mandhana, her recent form does not seem to justify her selection. Test and T20 cricket Verma has done pretty well in but the void in her impact in one-dayers is a concern for the team management ahead of the 2026 ICC Women’s World Cup. It is a severe setback for her to make it to the opening spot in the World Cup next year, as India has been declared to host the event.
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Key Players Omitted from the Squad
Alongside Shafali Verma, a few other players have also been excluded from the squad. Uma Chetry, Dayalan Hemalatha, Shreyanka Patil, and Sayali Satghare have lost their places in the ODI setup, following a series of tactical decisions by the selectors. These omissions have opened the door for newer faces to step in and make their mark.
Harleen Deol And Richa Ghosh Make Their Comeback
Verma will make way for the dynamic batting talent along with match-winning fielding skills of Harleen Deol in the National side. Richa Ghosh also returns for this ODI series, giving India a good depth in the middle order. There are new faces such as Minnu Mani, Titas Sadhu, and Priya Punia, who have been added after India won the two-match ODI series 2-1 against New Zealand in October. These new additions underscore the selectors’ intent of making a stronger team ahead of these high-stakes series.
Harmanpreet Kaur To Lead The Team
Harmanpreet Kaur will lead India in the One-Day format too despite questions raised about her captaincy after India’s poor exit from T20 World Cup, Smriti Mandhana will be the vice-captain. The series forms part of the ICC Women’s Championship as the Indian women take on the defending champions at Brisbane and Perth, with much promise to be a really tough test for India.
India Squad For Australia Tour
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Renuka Singh Thakur, Radha Yadav, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Priya Punia, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Richa Ghosh (WK), Minnu Mani, Harleen Deol, Titas Sadhu, Priya Mishra, Arundhati Reddy, Tejal Hasabnis, Saima Thakor.
