India have opted for form and fitness in naming their women’s squad for this summer’s T20 World Cup, handing 22-year-old seamer Nandani Sharma a first international call-up on the back of an eye-catching debut WPL season.
The tournament begins on 12 June in South Africa. Before that, India visit England for three T20Is from 28 May, preceded by a short conditioning camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru (8–20 May). The squad flies to the UK on 22 May.
Sharma’s selection was forced, in part, by injuries to all-rounders Amanjot Kaur (stress fracture in the back) and Kashvee Gautam (knee). Those setbacks opened a fast-bowling slot that the selectors have filled with a bowler who topped the WPL wicket charts (17) and claimed a hat-trick plus a five-for in only her second match.
Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues, who has watched Sharma from close quarters, expects the newcomer to settle quickly. “Nandani has been a great player for us throughout the WPL,” Rodrigues said at an IISM event in Mumbai. “When we got her, we didn’t know what to expect. We knew she had the talent, but when she came on the bigger stage – the WPL, in front of the world – the way she delivered, not just in the one game, not just after the five-wicket haul, but in every single game, she was consistent. I am really looking forward to having her here. At the same time, I know this team is going to welcome her, prepare her well. There is a lot of experience in this team and that experience will get the best out of her.”
Head coach Amol Muzumdar echoed that sentiment. “I would like to welcome Nandani into the squad,” he said. “Really looking forward to working along with her. We have seen her exploits in the WPL and domestic cricket as well.”
Sharma joins Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud and Arundhati Reddy to give India four seam-bowling options – a departure from recent spin-heavy line-ups. The reshuffle has also brought Bharti Fulmali in as a lower-middle-order power-hitter and restored Radha Yadav’s left-arm spin to the mix.
Muzumdar admitted that Amanjot’s absence forced a rethink. “It is very difficult to replace somebody like Aman because she is consistently doing well for India,” he said. “We will miss her for sure. But injuries are part of the game. She has had a bad one. She will be out of cricket for at least four to five months. I hope she recovers and comes back stronger. She is difficult to replace, but that’s the way it goes.”
Preparation now shifts to foreign conditions. India beat England 3–2 in a T20 series last year, their first such success on English soil, yet Muzumdar is wary of complacency. “Travelling to England is always a challenge. But this team and set of players is ready for it,” he noted. “We did have a very good T20 series last year. That was the first time in history we beat England in England in the T20 series. The experience is there, the confidence is there. All we need to do is travel well and play well.”
Analysis
• Selection tilt towards pace: Four frontline seamers suggest India want extra bounce covered in Potchefstroom and East London, where early-winter surfaces can nip around.
• Sharma’s WPL numbers stack up: strike-rate 11.2, economy 6.7 – both inside the competition’s top five.
• Batting depth still thin: Fulmali’s recall helps, but without Amanjot India lose a handy sixth-bowling option and late-order power.
• England series as dress rehearsal: similar conditions, tight turnaround, and a confident home side should stress-test combinations before South Africa.
For Sharma, meanwhile, the next fortnight is about keeping things simple. Friends say she has already phoned her childhood coach in Chandigarh, promising to “stick to the length” that served her so well in the WPL. The bigger stage now beckons; India hope the results will be just as familiar.
