Harmanpreet Kaur Sent Clear Message On India’s XI For Women’s T20 World Cup: ‘Both Should Start’

New Delhi: Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes pacers Kranti Gaud and Renuka Singh Thakur should both feature in India’s playing XI alongside Arundhati Reddy at the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, insisting the trio forms the backbone of India’s pace attack despite recent experimentation.
India head into their tournament opener against Pakistan women’s national cricket team at Edgbaston with lingering concerns over their bowling combination. Questions remain over the form of senior spinner Deepti Sharma, the absence of all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, and India’s struggles at the death, which were exposed during the recent T20I series against England.
Young pacer Nandni Sharma impressed on debut by claiming three wickets in Chelmsford but saw limited opportunities thereafter. Meanwhile, Renuka showcased her trademark swing against England, including a stunning dismissal of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, though she was expensive at the death.
India’s warm-up campaign — featuring a 26-run win over the West Indies women’s national cricket team and a six-run defeat to the England women’s national cricket team — offered little certainty regarding the ideal bowling attack.
“We don’t know why Renuka didn’t get a game in the first three T20s against England. Maybe they wanted to give others an opportunity,” Anjum told IANS.
“In my view, Kranti Gaud and Renuka Singh Thakur both start in the playing eleven for India with Arundhati Reddy. If you go by that fact, then you can only play two spinners. You can’t play Charani, Radha, Deepti and Shreyanka together.”
The spin department presents another selection dilemma, with India needing to choose among Deepti, Shreyanka Patil, N Sree Charani and Radha Yadav.
Anjum backed Shreyanka to play a key role as India navigate a challenging group comprising Australia women’s national cricket team, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Netherlands.
“Shreyanka is playing in England for the first time, so it will take time to adapt. But for me, she should be playing each and every game. She’ll become a very important cog in the wheel if India are to progress deep into the tournament,” Anjum said.
The former skipper also defended India’s experimentation during the England series, citing examples such as Arundhati opening the bowling and Deepti being used in the middle overs.
“These three games were more about understanding and weighing your options and giving everyone a chance away from their regular positions,” she said. “That’s how I saw the series.”