Shafali Verma dropped, Titas Sadhu & Harleen Deol return as India Women name squad for Australia ODI tour

The series will be important for the preparations of the upcoming 2025 ODI World Cup, for which the hosts are India.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the squad for the upcoming India women’s cricket team‘s tour of Australia. The 3-match ODI series will be played in Brisbane and Perth from December 5 to 11 and will be a part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25. Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the side, and Smriti Mandhana will be her deputy as usual. However, one big change has been made.

Shafali Verma dropped

Shafali Verma, India’s swashbuckling opener, has been dropped. She averages just 23 in ODIs, and in the recently concluded series against New Zealand, scored just 56 runs in 3 matches. The opener had an underwhelming Women’s T20 World Cup campaign as well, which didn’t help her cause. Meanwhile, Harleen Doel and Titas Sadhu have returned to the side. Doel last played an ODI in December 2023, which also happened to be her last match for the Indian Women.

Sadhu had earned her maiden 50-over call-up last year but couldn’t make her debut. Her absence from India’s T20I side in both the Women’s Asia Cup and Women’s T20 World Cup raised eyebrows. It’s unsure why she was unavailable, but she’s now back as India Women set their eyes on the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup trophy.

Uma Chetry, Dayalan Hemalatha, Shreyanka Patil, and Sayali Satghare, who are all part of India’s squad for the home ODI series against New Zealand in October, have been dropped as well. While Priya Punia returns to the team.

India Women’s squad for ODI series against Australia

Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Saima Thakor