The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a crucial update to the India Women‘s squad for the highly anticipated Asian Games 2023. This development comes in the wake of an unfortunate setback, as a prominent fast bowler has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a knee injury.
Anjali Sarvani’s unfortunate setback
Anjali Sarvani, a promising left-arm fast bowler, was a notable inclusion in the initial squad announced for the Asian Games. However, a knee injury has regrettably forced her out of the competition. This comes as a blow to both Sarvani and the team, as her skillset would have undoubtedly been valuable assets in the tournament.
Pooja Vastrakar: The all-rounder extraordinaire
In a bid to fill the void left by Sarvani’s absence, the BCCI has turned to the dynamic all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar. Known for her hard-hitting abilities with the bat and her incisive bowling, Vastrakar brings a wealth of talent and versatility to the squad.
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What makes Vastrakar’s inclusion even more intriguing is that she was initially named as a standby player when the squad was first announced on July 15. This underscores the importance of having a pool of standby players ready to step in at a moment’s notice. Vastrakar’s elevation to the main squad exemplifies the depth and quality of talent within the women’s cricket circuit in India.
Leadership continuity
Harmanpreet Kaur, the experienced campaigner in international cricket, will continue to lead the Women in Blue in this crucial tournament. Alongside her, Smriti Mandhana, known for her explosive batting, will serve as the deputy captain. The combination of Kaur’s astute leadership and Mandhana’s aggressive style of play forms a formidable leadership duo for the team.
India women squad for Asian Games (Updated): Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Devika Vaidya, Titas Sadhu, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Minnu Mani, Kanika Ahuja, Uma Chetry (wk), Anusha Bareddy, Pooja Vastrakar
Standby: Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.