Abhinav Kumar Singh 
The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India on Friday announced the Indian Women’s Squad for the upcoming 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 (Asian Games 2023).
The Asian Games 2023 will be played in China from September 23 to October 8. The women’s cricket event at the Asian Games 2023, to be played in the T20 format, will take place on September 19-28. All the matches will be played at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field.
Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the Indian women’s team with Smriti Mandhana taking charge as her deputy. Players like Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque, and Pooja Vastrakar have been named on the standby list.
Also Check: India Men’s Cricket Team for Asian Games 2023
The squad features a few changes from the one that played Bangladesh recently. Notably, Richa Ghosh returns to take the gloves with Yastika Bhatia not finding a place among the 15 in the squad and five on standby.
18-year-old pacer Titas Sadhu, who shone in the inaugural Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup earlier this year, earns a maiden call-up to the squad as does all-rounder Kanika Ahuja.
Offspin allrounder Minnu Mani, who impressed with five wickets in the T20I series against Bangladesh, keeps her place in the squad.
Cricket has been played at the Asian Games twice before – at Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014, when India did not take part. Pakistan won the women’s events by beating Bangladesh in the final in both editions. The BCCI Apex Council cleared the participation of men and women teams earlier this month.
The matches in the upcoming edition of the Asian Games have been accorded international status by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
This is the second time the Indian women’s cricket team will play at a multi-sport event. At the Commonwealth Games 2022 last year in Birmingham, India women won a silver medal after losing to Australia in the final.
Renuka Singh Thakur, who was the highest wicket-taker at the Commonwealth Games 2022 cricket tournament with 11 wickets in five matches, has not been named in the Asian Games squad.
India Women’s Squad for Asian Games: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Devika Vaidya, Anjali Sarvani, Titas Sadhu, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Minnu Mani, Kanika Ahuja, Uma Chetry (wk) and Anusha Bareddy.
Standby Players: Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque and Pooja Vastrakar.
