Women's Cricket
Pooja ruled out of T20 series vs Australia; Devika makes comeback
Pooja Vastrakar is ruled out due to an injury as selectors picked the Indian women's cricket team for home T20 series against Australia.
Indian women's cricket team (Source: AsianCricketCouncil/Twitter)
India allrounder Pooja Vastrakar was ruled out due to an injury as selectors on Friday picked promising uncapped left-arm pacer Anjali Sarvani for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia beginning on December 9 in Mumbai.
Pooja, who led the India C team in the Women's T20 Challenger in Raipur, was "ruled out owing to an injury and was not considered for selection," said a statement issued by BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
The 25-year-old Andhra left-arm medium pacer Anjali impressed with her tidy bowling display in Poonam Yadav-led India A's runners-up finish in the Women's Challenger earlier last month. Anjali was exceptional against India D and finished with figures of 2 for 11 from her three overs to clinch them a final spot.
Overall, she bagged three wickets from four matches and returned with a tidy economy rate of 5.50. The Australia series will also mark the return of Maharashtra left-handed allrounder Devika Vaidya after more than four years.
The 25-year-old leg-spin allrounder, who made her debut way back in 2014 in a T20I against South Africa, last made her international appearance against England in an ODI match in 2018. Devika played a match-winning 27-ball 41 for India B in their four-wicket win over India C in the T20 Challenger.
Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the side, while Smriti Mandhana will be her deputy. India will play the first two T20Is at the DY Patil stadium on December 9 and 11, before moving to CCI for the remaining three fixtures on December 14, 17 and 20.
The series will mark India's build-up to the T20 World Cup in South Africa beginning February 10.
