Smriti Mandhana Takes Charge as India Faces England in T20I Opener
Mandhana Steps Up as Captain
Nottingham: In a precautionary move, regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been rested for India's first T20I against England at Trent Bridge due to a head injury. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, a left-handed opener, will take the helm in her absence.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced, "Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been rested for the first T20I against England Women in Nottingham as a precautionary measure following a head injury sustained during the T20 Warm-up match against ECB Select XI."
The statement further noted, "She is being closely monitored by the medical team and is recovering well. Smriti Mandhana will lead the team in her absence." Interestingly, Smriti had already addressed the pre-series press conference on Friday due to Harmanpreet's illness.
For the opening match of the T20I series, India has included left-arm spinner N Shree Charani for her debut, while Sneh Rana returns to the T20I squad after a two-year hiatus. With Harmanpreet out, Jemimah Rodrigues is set to bat at the number four position.
England, having won the toss and opted to bowl first, has brought in Tammy Beaumont to replace the injured Heather Knight at number four. Their lineup features three fast bowlers: Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell, and Em Arlott, along with two left-arm spinners, Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith.
Prior to the match at Trent Bridge, which is hosting a women's T20I series for the first time, both teams observed a minute of silence to honor the victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.
Playing XIs
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana (captain), Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, and N Shree Charani.
England: Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Em Arlott, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Linsey Smith, and Lauren Bell.