India and Sri Lanka have been competitive in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup and were the closest in 2017, only to lose a trophy in their fingertips. The tournament is now back in the subcontinent, 12 years since India last hosted this tournament.
Following their performance at the last Women’s World Cup, India has engaged in excessive preparation before being allowed to host this tournament. They will not be playing in the top venues around the country – a fact that has deservedly received much criticism in many quarters, as the women’s game remains underinvested and even underpromoted by a lot to the cricket-crazed masses when compared to the men’s team.
And yet they do get to explore parts of the country that have never been in the spotlight over the sport: they start in the north-east, in Guwahati, and it is hoped that as the sport develops, so will the belief and the publicity surrounding this team.
Since the last World Cup, India have contested 38 Women’s ODIs, of which 14 vital matches have been played this year, where they have impressed in a big way. It is still not an ideal team, and there is much to be desired and to work on to make it a perfect one, but it has demonstrated that it is a bold, gritty squad, one with a lot of good around it that can change things.
Smriti Manadhana will play the tournament under the guise of her life, and she will desire to make a difference, as will Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, with a bowling unit that will also desire to be effective against the best teams.
These are the Sri Lankan girls who are also their co-hosts in the tournament and are led by the all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu.
It is a team that has offended India in key matches in the recent past, like the Asia Cup, and has hopes of making it to the knockout stages of this tournament after making an impressive performance.
This is not going to be a smooth sail throughout this tournament: there are only 8 teams, which makes it a case where each outcome matters. Chamari Athapaththu reportedly said the possible power of dew in the future influenced them to bowl first, and she is sure her bowling unit can handle the job.
India has a fully fit squad to pick, and they have opted to use three spinners and two seamers. Renuka Singh has lost, and India has chosen Kranti Goud and Amanjot Kaur. Sri Lanka has two offspinners, two left-arm spinners, and two pacers, and that is variety. Udeshika Prabodhani, who last played an ODI in August 2024, has been brought back into the XI.
The pitch is supposedly good to bat in, and just in the pitch report, Mithali Raj referred to it as a “batting paradise.” The seamers will also be offered some early movement, though one square is a little shorter than the other.
India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wicket keeper), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Goud, Shree Charani.
Sri Lanka XI: Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wicket keeper), Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera.
