Women's T20 WC: Yastika, Nandni included as India asked to bat first by Netherlands
Leeds, June 17
India were asked to bat first by Netherlands in their Women's T20 World Cup clash at Headingley on Wednesday, with Yastika Bhatia returning to the playing eleven and Nandni Sharma handed a maiden appearance in the tournament.
India arrives into Wednesday's game on the back of a comprehensive 64-run win over Pakistan, while Netherlands come into the clash after losing to Bangladesh by six wickets in what was also their first game in the mega event.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said wicketkeeper-batter Yastika and right-arm pacer Nandini come into the playing eleven in place of Bharti Fulmali and Arundhati Reddy. "Great opportunity to bat first and we want to challenge ourselves. The powerplay with bat and ball is something we are looking forward to. Sticking to your own plans and batting as deep as possible is the key on this wicket," she said.
Netherlands captain Babette de Leede said seamer Myrthe van den Raad has replaced batter Sanya Khurana in their playing eleven. "I think we will get something out of the wicket and hopefully chase the target later on. Super excited for this opportunity. Playing against India is a dream coming true, a little bit nervous as well," she said
The match will be played on the same pitch as the Australia-Bangladesh contest, where Australia registered a resounding nine-wicket victory. In their pitch report, Ian Bishop and Charles Dagnall felt overcast conditions with a strong south‑westerly breeze will bring early movement and could aid seamers, especially with 30 overs already bowled.
Playing XIs:
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud and Nandni Sharma
Netherlands: Heather Siegers, Phebe Molkenboer, Babette de Leede (captain & wk), Sterre Kalis, Robine Rijke, Frederique Overdijk, Iris Zwilling, Myrthe van den Raad, Caroline de Lange, Silver Siegers and Isabel Van Der Woning
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, I'm a bit surprised they dropped Arundhati Reddy. She bowled well against Pakistan, especially in the death overs. But Nandni is a promising talent... hopefully she grabs this opportunity. Also, Shreyanka Patil needs to step up with the ball today - Netherlands might look to attack her. 🤞
I'm just thrilled to see women's cricket growing! 🎉 20 years ago, we wouldn't have seen such competitive games between India and Netherlands. The Dutch captain's comment about it being a "dream come true" to play against India is so sweet. Let's respect the opposition and give them a good game! #WomensCricket
The pitch report sounds tricky - 30 overs already bowled and overcast conditions with wind. That means the ball could seam around early. I think Harmanpreet should have asked Shafali and Smriti to be cautious in the first 6 overs rather than going all out. Build a platform first, then accelerate. Just my two paise! 🪙
One thing I appreciate about this Indian team is the batting depth. Having Deepti Sharma at 7 and Shreyanka at 8 means we can really bat deep. But I'm a bit concerned about the bowling attack - only Kranti Gaud has experience in these conditions. Netherlands could surprise us if they bat sensibly. Still, India should win by a good margin! 💪
N Naveen S Is it just me or We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.