Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque among fresh call-ups as India name Harmanpreet Kaur-led squads for England series | Cricket News

Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque were among the new names called up to the senior team as the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday named the squad to be led Harmanpreet Kaur for the T20I series against England that is starting in less than a week from now at Wankhede stadium.The selection committee also named the squads for the two Test matches to follow, one against England followed another against Australia. Harmanpreet will lead the team as Indian women play a Test match at home for the first time in more than nine years. India had last played two Test matches in 2021, away in England and Australia.
In the T20I squad against England, Shreyanka was joined Mannat Kashyap and Saika in earning fresh call-ups. Pacer Renuka Singh Thakur is set to return after a break from the international circuit and has made the cut in both formats. Karnataka’s Shubha Satheesh is a new name in the fray in the Test squad where impressive young pacer Titas Sadhu also features.
Shreyanka has been knocking on the doors of the senior team for a while now. The spin-bowling allrounder made a mark for Royal Challengers Bangalore in an otherwise disappointing Women’s Premier League campaign for the franchise. She then went on to become the first Indian to feature in the Caribbean Premier League where she was the leading wicket-taker in Guyana Amazon Warriors’ title-winning campaign. She has impressed for India A as well in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup and the ongoing T20 series against England.
Kanika also had a good season for RCB and is part of the India A squad, and adds some firepower to the middle order with her big-hitting abilities.
Left-arm spinner Saika was one of the breakout stars in the WPL as she impressed for champions Mumbai Indians. She is also named in the Test squad. Mannat, also a left-arm spinner, was part of the title-winning campaign for India at the inaugural ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup earlier this year in South Africa.
In Tests, Jemimah Rodrigues could be in line for a debut in the format after missing out in the matches played couple of years back. Veteran spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad features in the longer format alongside the likes of Sneh Rana, Harleen Deol.
All the three T20Is against England will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The first match is on Wednesday, 6th December followed the next two on 9th and 10th. The Test match against England will be played at the DY Patil Stadium, starting on 14th December. That will be followed another one-off Test against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium, starting on 21st December. Both the Tests are four-day contests.
India’s squad for 3 T20Is against England: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Pooja Vastrakar, Kanika Ahuja, Minnu Mani.
India’s squad for one-off Test matches against England & Australia: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Shubha Satheesh, Harleen Deol, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar.