India Drop Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil For 3-Match ODI Series Against Australia

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday (November 19) to announce India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia.

In the team picked for the away series, there was no place for star opening batter Shafali Verma as well as spinner Shreyanka Patil. As many as five players who were part of the Indian team that won the three-match ODI series against New Zealand last month are not picked for the upcoming three matches, but Harleen Deol, Priya Punia, and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh are back in the team.

Richa missed the New Zealand series as she had to appear for her class 12 board exams.

The first two ODIs will be held at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane before the action shifts to WACA Ground, Perth, for the final match of the series, which is a part of the ICC Women’s Championship.

Shafali, who has 644 runs to her name in 29 ODIs played so far, was only able to score 33, 11, and 12 runs in the three matches of the home series played against New Zealand last month. In the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, she scored 97 runs in four matches for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side.

Harleen is back in the Indian team, and she is expected to play her first match of 2024. She has been out of action since March 2024. In 10 ODIs played so far for the Women in Blue, the 26-year-old Deol has 207 runs and two wickets to her name.

India’s squad for three-match ODI series: 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.

Series schedule
First ODI: Brisbane, December 5
Second ODI: Brisbane, December 8
Third ODI: Perth, December 11