Ind vs Aus: Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar are unlikely to feature in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final on Thursday versus Australia at the Newlands in Cape Town.
Cape Town: In what would come as a massive setback for the Indian women’s cricket team, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar are unlikely to feature in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final on Thursday versus Australia at the Newlands in Cape Town. As per the Indian Express, the two key cricketers are not going to feature in the big game due to illness. It is learnt from the same report that both the cricketers have been admitted to a local hospital. A decision on their availability for the game will take place on Thursday hours ahead of the big game.
As per Rev Sports, Sneh Rana has been drafted into the side with immediate effect.
Harman, who has not completely been ruled out, and Vastrakar are two key players in the Indian set up and hence their availability against a dominant team like Australia was important.
Australia, also the defending champions, head into the semi-finals as firm favourites, especially with a 3-2 upper hand over India in Women’s T20 World Cup matches. Moreover, Australia got the better of India in the 2020 T20 World Cup final and Commonwealth Games gold medal match last year.
Australia had also won a five-game T20I series in India 4-1, apart from a warm-up match victory earlier in the month. But they will be wary of India’s giant-killing instinct, a glimpse of which was seen when they secured a thrilling super-over victory in the second game of the series in front of 47,000 spectators at the DY Patil Stadium last year. Also, India is the only side to whom Australia have lost twice since 2021.
IND-W vs AUS-W Probable Playing XIs
India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shikha Pandey, Harleen Deol, Renuka Thakur
Australia Women: Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
