Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India-A have announced separate squads for their upcoming tour of England, with Anushka Sharma set to lead the T20 side and Harleen Deol captaining the ODI team. The tour will feature three T20Is starting June 20, followed by three one-day matches from July 1.Anushka Sharma, who recently made her international debut during India’s tour of South Africa, has quickly earned leadership responsibility for the T20 leg. Vrinda Dinesh has been named vice-captain of the T20 squad.Meanwhile, Harleen Deol, who missed out on India’s Women’s T20 World Cup squad, will lead the ODI side in England. Pratika Rawal has been appointed vice-captain for the ODI series.The selectors have also rewarded several young and emerging players with spots in the India-A setup. G. Kamalini and Vaishnavi Sharma, both of whom have already featured for the senior Indian team recently, have been included in both squads.Jintimani Kalita received her maiden India-A call-up in both formats, while Tanisha Singh and Purvaja Verlekar are among the fresh faces added to the ODI and T20 squads respectively.
England tour seen as stepping stone
The England tour is expected to play an important role in developing India’s bench strength and giving young players overseas exposure. It also comes at a crucial time as India continue building squads for future ICC events.The T20 squad includes players like Minnu Mani, Shabnam Shakil and Tanuja Kanwer, while the ODI side features experienced domestic names such as Priya Punia, Tejal Hasabnis and Sayali Satghare.With a mix of young talent and players already on the national selectors’ radar, the India-A tour could become an important platform for future senior team opportunities.
India-A squads for tour of England
India-A squad for T20s against England A: Anushka Sharma (C), Vrinda Dinesh (VC), G Kamalini (WK), Uma Chetry, Vaishnavi Sharma, Prema Rawat, Purvaja Verlekar, Jintimani Kalita, Saima Thakor, Simran Bahadur, Shweta Sehrawat, Deeya Yadav, Minnu Mani, Shabnam Shakil, Tanuja Kanwer.India-A squad for One-Days against England A: Harleen Deol (C), Pratika Rawal (VC), Priya Punia, Tanisha Singh, G Kamalini (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Niki Prasad, Prema Rawat, Tanuja Kanwer, Vaishnavi Sharma, Shabnam Shakil, Sayali Satghare, Jintimani Kalita, Saima Thakor.
