Bhatia, the wicketkeeper-batter, was Mumbai Indians’ third-highest run-scorer in WPL 2024 with 204 runs in in eight outings. She played the first T20I against Bangladesh in Sylhet in April but has been out of action since. She is currently recuperating at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for an injury in her left knee.
Tanuja Kanwar, who replaced Patil in the India squad for the Asia Cup, has not been included, but has been named among the travelling reserves. Along with Kanwar, Chetry, also a wicketkeeper-batter, and fast bowler Saima Thakor have been named in the reserves. Batter Raghvi Bist and legspinner Priya Mishra, who were both part of the India A squad that travelled to Australia recently, have been named non-travelling reserves.
India are placed in Group A at the World Cup along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and are targeting their first women’s T20 World Cup title.
The tournament was originally set to be played in Bangladesh, but was shifted to the UAE last week in the aftermath of the countrywide anti-government agitations in Bangladesh, with a number of countries issuing travel advisories to their citizens against travelling to the country..
The tournament gets underway on October 3 in Sharjah with the final slotted for October 20 in Dubai. India begin their campaign against New Zealand in Dubai on October 4 in an evening game and will play Pakistan on October 6 at the same venue.
India squad for Women’s T20 World Cup
Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia* (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajeevan Sajana
Travelling reserves: Tanuja Kanwar, Uma Chetry, Saima Thakor. Non-travelling reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra
* Subject to fitness
