Mumbai, December 5 : India aims to build confidence from recent successes as they strive to improve their bilateral record against England in a three-match women’s T20I series, commencing on Wednesday in Mumbai.
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India has experienced success in the shortest format this year, clinching the gold medal in the Asian Games, securing an away series victory against Bangladesh with a 2-1 margin, and reaching the final of the triangular series in South Africa, where West Indies was the third participating side.
In contrast, world No. 2 England seeks to overcome the setback of a 1-2 series loss to Sri Lanka on home turf. India, ranked fourth globally, faces a challenging record at home in T20Is, especially against England, with only two wins in nine encounters on home soil, the most recent being over five years ago.
Moreover, India’s overall T20I record against England, with only seven victories in 27 matches, is a concern. The upcoming series provides an opportunity for India to enhance their overall home record, which currently stands at 19 wins from 50 T20Is at home, with 30 losses and one tied game.
Both India and England were semifinalists in the last T20 World Cup, and this series serves as a chance to refine their preparations for the next edition in Bangladesh in September-October 2024. Key performers for India include Deepti Sharma, leading the bowling attack with 19 wickets in 16 matches, while batters like Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Smriti Mandhana have displayed commendable performances.
India introduces three new faces for this series—Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, and Saika Ishaque. England, with players like Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danny Wyatt, brings a formidable squad to the contest. The series follows a preceding three-match contest between the ‘A’ teams of both countries, where Issy Wong’s all-round brilliance secured a 2-1 win for England.
The squads for the series are as follows: India: 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.
England: Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath (wk), Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Wyatt.
Time: 7:00 pm IST.
