Harmanpreet Kaur sits out of the first T20I against England
Chelmsford, May 28
In the series before the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup, India women decided to go into the opening match of the white-ball series against England without regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI informed via social media post that Harmanpreet Kaur has been rested for the first T20I against England and that Smriti Mandhana will be leading the side.
"Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been rested for the first T20I against England Women in Chelmsford. Smriti Mandhana is leading the side in her absence," said the post on X, formerly Twitter.
"I think she'll be ready for the second match," said Mandhana at the toss as India handed a debut to Nandani Sharma, who finished as the joint-leading wicket-taker at the recent Women's Premier League (WPL).
England also went into the match without regular skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, nursing her troublesome calf. Charlie Dean was leading the side.
England Women won the toss and elected to bowl first as they handed a debut to Tilly Corteen-Coleman.
Having claimed their maiden T20 World Cup title at home last year, India are making their final preparations for the mega event by locking horns with England in a three-match T20I series to familiarise themselves with the conditions on offer. The Indian players will be taking the field in England on a high following their success over the hosts in the previous white-ball series.
With India riding on a wave of confidence, Harman conceded that a fairytale ending to the upcoming tournament will be a dream come true for her. "It will be a dream come true for any cricketer who made their debut in England and then winning the World Cup in England, I think I can't ask anything else for myself and from God," she said in the pre-match press conference in Chelmsford on Wednesday.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Excited to see Nandani Sharma make her debut! She was brilliant in the WPL. Hope she does well in English conditions. And Harmanpreet's dream of winning the World Cup in England - that gives me goosebumps! She debuted here and now wants to lift the trophy. Full support to the team!
Good to see both teams managing their captains' workloads. Sciver-Brunt out too makes it interesting. India have been in great form against England lately, should be a competitive series. Dean leading England for the first time - big opportunity for her.
Honestly, I'm a bit worried about resting your captain for the first match of such an important series. These small decisions can set the tone. But I trust the coaching staff, they know the players' fitness best. Smriti is a wonderful deputy. Let's see what our girls can do! 💪
I think this is a good chance to test our bench strength before the World Cup. Harman is irreplaceable, but we need to see how the team performs without her. Mandhana's captaincy will be tested. Also, debut for Nandani - hope she grabs this opportunity with both hands! England conditions suit our spinners.
Smart captaincy management ahead of the World Cup. Both teams doing the right thing. India's women's team has really stepped up their game - I've been impressed with their fitness and skills. Looking forward to seeing how the girls perform in English conditions. Should be a cracking series! 🏏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.