Smriti Mandhana will lead the Indian women’s team for the three-match ODI series against Ireland, starting January 10 in Rajkot. The announcement came after regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and fast bowler Renuka Singh were rested to manage their workload.
India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana is within touching distance of top spot of both the T20I and ODI batting rankings after strong performances against the West Indies across both formats.
The difficult period for the Indian team started with a morale-shattering defeat to New Zealand in its opening match of the T20 World Cup. On Thursday, the team exacted revenge of sorts by beating the recently-crowned World Champions and taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
India will go into the T20 World Cup under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur, with Smriti Mandhana the vice-captain.
India stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana stated that the team won't take their semi-final opponent lightly after their group stage concluded on an unbeaten note.
The 23-year-old batter had suffered a fracture in her right toe during a practice session before the start of the ODI series against the Proteas which India won 3-0.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to confirm the development.
The left-handed batter has been a star player for the Indian side and in her short career has already become the No. 1 batter in the ODI Batting Rankings.
The 21-year-old has played in 30 T20Is, taking 28 wickets with her off-spin at an average 22.92. She has also featured in 48 ODIs, taking 56 wickets at an average 27.39 with a best of six for 20. She also averages 41.81 with the bat in ODI cricket.
Afghanistan's Rashid Khan was named the international T20 bowler of the year.
