India’s selectors have mixed the familiar with the fresh in naming their 15 for next month’s Women’s T20 World Cup. Left-arm spinner-all-rounder Radha Yadav and wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, neither of whom has featured since last season, have been recalled, while uncapped seamer-all-rounder Nandani Sharma earns a first opportunity.
Radha back in the frame
Chief selector Amita Sharma was frank about why the 25-year-old spinner forced her way in after slipping behind N Shree Charani and Vaishnavi Sharma during the winter.
“Radha played a few domestic tournaments and captained India A to Bangkok,” Sharma said. “Those performances of hers showed that her bowling is in a better rhythm. Experience also matters. In Amanjot’s absence, we needed an all-rounder, hence we added her.”
There was no overstating the numbers. A maiden WPL half-century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, an economy of 7.78 on some flat decks, then ten wickets in the Rising Stars Asia Cup and a productive Inter-Zonal red-ball stint – 224 runs and 12 wickets – made a persuasive package.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur added: “We have got Radha back in the side because she is also an allrounder who can contribute with bat, ball and on the field. Amanjot’s replacement is hard to find, but we are trying to balance the team with the players available.”
Why Yastika over the other keepers?
Since Bhatia’s ACL surgery last October, India have used Uma Chetry’s tidy glovework and even tested 17-year-old G Kamalini in a T20I. Yet once the physios cleared Bhatia, the panel looked beyond her gloves to the left-hand option she offers in the top order. Her career strike-rate in the mid-120s is hardly explosive, but it complements Smriti Mandhana’s fluency and provides insurance should an opener fall early.
“Yastika was always our second keeper,” batting coach Shiv Sunder Das said on a conference call. “She ticks two boxes: a calm pair of hands and a left-hand angle which forces the field to change.”
Fulmali keeps her place
The decision to retain Bharti Fulmali – limited opportunities, modest returns – raised mild eyebrows. Sharma pointed to her ability to plug middle-order roles and bowl medium pace if conditions demand. “You do not dismantle a unit that won a World Cup last year without a strong reason,” she noted. Insiders also talk up Fulmali’s reputation as a diligent trainer and a valued presence in pressure situations.
Room for debutant Nandani
At 20, Delhi pacer Nandani Sharma is the only uncapped name. Her extra yard of pace, noticeable in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy (12 wickets at 6.25), impressed both selectors and data analysts. Expect her to be eased in behind the experienced Renuka Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar.
Squad balance
The top order remains settled: Mandhana, Shafali Verma and the ever-reliable Jemimah Rodrigues. Harmanpreet slots at four, with Richa Ghosh and either Bhatia or Fulmali to follow, depending on match-ups. Spin depth is significant – Radha’s left-arm angle alongside Charani’s flight and Deepti Sharma’s off-spin allows three contrasting options.
Tournament outlook
India reached the final in 2024 and will travel to South Africa believing the gap to Australia has narrowed. The batting still leans on Mandhana’s starts and Harmanpreet’s finishing, but the think-tank is encouraged by Richa’s late-overs hitting and Radha’s all-round value. The pace unit lacks an out-and-out quick, yet the management feels conditions at Paarl and Cape Town will aid their mix of cutters and slower balls.
Room for improvement? Definitely. Depth at No. 7 and 8 remains thin, and death bowling wobbles linger. Still, recalling two proven performers while introducing a promising youngster suggests the panel has struck a pragmatic middle ground – banking on experience without ignoring form.
The squad
Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, N Shree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Renuka Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Saika Ishaque.
