Commonwealth Games Cricket 2022: India's best XI to face Pakistan

Women’s T20 cricket tournament will be one of the sports in the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022. India, led by power-hitting sensation Harmanpreet Kaur are one of the eight participants in this event that will be contested in Birmingham. The Indian eves are placed in Group A along with the likes of Australia, Pakistan, and Barbados. Cricket is making a comeback to the quadrennial sporting tournament after a long wait of 24 years, and all the participants would be hunting for gold in order to etch their name in history books. Even India are one of the favourites to go all the way, and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, as well as batting superstar Smriti Mandhana, have exuded confidence in ensuring a podium finish this time around. However, the journey will not be easy for the Indian eves as they will be facing the reigning T20 world champions, Australia, in the curtain-raiser on July 29. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on the mouth-watering clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on July 31. Without further ado, here’s a look at India’s playing XI against the Women in Green. 1. Smriti Mandhana Smriti Mandhana poses during an India women portrait session. (Photo by Pat Elmont – ECB/ECB via Getty Images) The onus will be on Smriti Mandhana to ensure a brisk start for the Indian eves against the arch-rivals opening the innings. The southpaw can be very dangerous once she is well set in the middle and has the ability to play a match-defining knock. What is important from India’s perspective is that she is at the peak of her career in T20Is. Mandhana was the sole Indian to feature in the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s Women Team of the Year 2021 in T20Is, having amassed 255 runs averaging 31.87 at a strike rate of 131.44, including two half-centuries from nine matches in the year gone by. The Sangli cricketer would be hoping to continue her consistent run in this format, and the CWG 2022 clash against Pakistan is a perfect opportunity for her to ensure this. 2. Shafali Verma Shafali Verma. (Photo Source: Twitter) Shafali Verma was one of India’s promising batters during the 2020 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, where she played a key role in the Women in Blue making the finals. The youngster might not be in good form as of now, but her ability to provide brisk starts is indeed a blessing in disguise for the Indian team. This unique skill of Shafali can turn out to be really handy for India while batting first to set a total or while chasing big targets, as once she gets going, it can be extremely difficult for the opposition to get rid of her. Verma also had the potential to play unorthodox cricketing shots once set, which can leave any opposition shell-shocked. More importantly, Shafali Verma’s ability to perform under pressure is also another added advantage for the Indian eves, which can certainly come good against Pakistan this weekend. 3. Jemimah Rodrigues Jemimah Rodrigues. (Photo Source: Twitter) Jemimah Rodrigues is yet another talented batter who is capable of shining when it matters the most. Both Jemimah and Smriti have been involved in many memorable opening partnerships in the last few years and this time, Jemimah would be hoping to prove a point at the number three position. After missing out on the World Cup squad in New Zealand earlier this year, a determined Jemimah Rodriguez made a determined comeback with consistent performances in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. She played in the middle order in that series and the move paid off brilliantly. Thus, the CWG 2022 clash against Pakistan Women can be a perfect opportunity to play her in the middle order. 4. Yastika Bhatia (wk) Yastika Bhatia (Photo Source: Twitter) Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has emerged as one of the finest talents of the Indian women’s team. She announced her arrival on the international stage when she scored a half-century against Bangladesh in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 group fixture. Her knock was of prime importance as other batters failed to make an impact on the 22 yards in that contest. The 21-year-old has not got many chances to shine in T20Is and Tests, but she has made the most of her opportunities in One Day Internationals to a certain extent, having amassed 402 runs from 16 WODIs, including three half-centuries in her first year at the highest level. With Yastika Bhatia finding an honourable mention in the Indian women’s squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, she would be focusing on giving her best on the field should she get a chance against arch-rivals Pakistan. 5. Harmanpreet Kaur (c) Harmanpreet Kaur. (Photo by Ashley Allen/Getty Images) Harmanpreet Kaur is a destructive middle-order batter who can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition with her batting pyrotechnics once she is well-set at the crease. Kaur will be the backbone of the Indian eves in this competition and she would be expected to make quick decisions under pressure. After veteran Mithali Raj’s retirement, Harmanpreet has been handed over the captaincy of the Indian women’s team across all formats and she would be eager to test herself as well as her leadership skills in this competitive event as India eyes a podium finish in the quadrennial tournament. The Punjab cricketer would be hoping to come out all guns blazing against Pakistan as the Women in Blue look to maintain an outstanding record against arch-rivals when it comes to multi-nation tournament head-to-head encounters. 6. Deepti Sharma Deepti Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter) When it comes to an all-rounder who provides depth to a team, Deepti Sharma is one of those names who can fill in the gap with her bowling and batting performances at crucial junctures. Moreover, being an experienced campaigner, Deepti would now be hoping to hold her nerves while performing under pressure. Apart from picking up crucial wickets with her right-arm off-spin, Sharma also has the ability to bat at any position. In fact, she has batted at three and proved to be a handy top-order batter. While she has a wealth of experience, having donned the India jersey since 2014, Deepti has also played some elite franchise leagues like the Hundred and the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), which could extremely work in her favour. 7. Sneh Rana Deepti Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sneh Rana made a dream comeback in 2021 when she played a match-saving knock in a one-off away Test match against England. She also blew away Bangladesh with her stellar all-round performance in the Women’s World Cup earlier this year. Rana first scored a vital 23-ball 27 lower down the order, before showcasing a brilliant performance with the ball in hand by finishing with figures of 4/30 as India registered a comprehensive 110-run victory. However, the concern for Sneh Rana as of now is that she was excluded from the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka. Head coach Ramesh Powar reportedly gave a reason that she was working on her fitness at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Missing the tour has meant that the all-rounder lost out on some much-needed match practice. It has been four months since Sneh Rana has played any international fixture which could make her feel a bit rusty heading into the prestigious CWG 2022 in a few days’ time. 8. Harleen Deol Harleen Deol (Photo Source: Twitter/Harleen Kaur Deol) With ace bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar set to miss a couple of matches after being tested positive for COVID-19 recently, the Indian eves would need a good all-rounder to fill the slot and there seems to be no better option than Harleen Deol. Harleen has been in the Indian team for the last couple of years and has succeeded in making the most of the limited opportunities she has got so far. She has played 13 T20Is for India scoring 135 runs and has a half-century to her name with her highest score being 52. The Chandigarh-born cricketer also has six scalps to her name. Apart from making a mark with both the bat and ball, Harleen Deol can also contribute with her fielding performances by taking some breathtaking catches. Therefore, the Chandigarh-born cricketer can be a perfect replacement option for Vastrakar in India’s key clash against Pakistan. 9. Rajeshwari Gayakwad India Women. (Photo Source: Twitter) The left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s addition would be a very good experience for the Indian eves in the clash against Pakistan. Gayakwad is one of those players who has donned the India jersey across formats and also has some big match awareness having been a part of the Indian squad in the 2017 Women’s World Cup. Gayakwad would be hoping to bamboozle the world-class batters of the opposition with her left-arm spin and emerge as a match-winner for India in the upcoming tournament. The Karnataka cricketer who was a part of the Indian side that suffered a heartbreaking group stage exit from this year’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand would be hoping to play a vital role in ensuring that the Women in Blue finish on top of the podium in Birmingham 10. Meghna Singh Meghna Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter) Meghna Singh has only played 15 internationals for India and is yet to make her debut in Women’s T20I. Despite all that, the selectors have shown utmost faith in her by naming her in the Indian squad for the upcoming edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This has been possible courtesy of her consistent performances with the ball in hand since her international debut last year. The performances also helped Meghna in cementing a place in the Indian squad for the 2022 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, where she was regularly featured in the wickets column, including a three-wicket haul against the then defending champions England. Meghna Singh would yet again be expected to trouble the batters on a pace-friendly English wicket and play a vital role in India’s chances of winning a medal at the prestigious tournament. 11. Renuka Singh Thakur Renuka Singh (Photo Source: Twitter) Emerging pacer Renuka Singh Thakur has been rewarded with the wonderful opportunity of being named in India’s Commonwealth Games squad, and a lot will be expected from her in the pace department in the absence of veteran pacer Shikha Pandey. The 26-year-old would be looking to spearhead the pace department. The Shimla cricketer had a memorable tour of Sri Lanka where she was consistent with the ball in hand, registering a couple of scalps to her name in the T20I series. She also went on to bag seven wickets in the succeeding three-match One Day Internationals. Renuka’s pace and consistency will matter a lot during India’s key clash against arch-rivals Pakistan this weekend.

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Commonwealth Games Cricket 2022: India's best XI to face Pakistan

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