Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh to join U19 camp post India-Australia T20I series

Two of India's emerging sensations in Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh will be joining the U19 camp after the conclusion of the ongoing five-match home T20I series against the World Champions Australia. Shafali is set to lead India U19 Women in the inaugural edition of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa next month (January 2023).

Earlier, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had said that the duo will be missing the fifth and final T20I as it will be heading to Bengaluru to join the U19 Women’s World Cup camp that starts from December 18. The ongoing T20I series concludes on Tuesday, December 20.

They will now play the whole series and then join the camp: Harmanpreet Kaur

While both U19 Women’s T20 World Cup-bound players were originally scheduled to be given an early release from the national team for attending the preparatory camp, captain Harmanpreet after India’s 21-run loss in the third game confirmed that Shafali and Richa will only be joining the camp after playing the entire five-match series.

“They will now play the whole series and then join the camp,” she said as quoted by The New Indian Express.

Notably, both Verma and Ghosh have a fair amount of international exposure but have neither played for India U19 nor have they been a part of any camps or tournaments organized for the age group. The tournament kicks off on January 14, 2023.

Shafali has been named the captain of the U19 team by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s All India Selection Committee earlier. The national selection committee also included the 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Richa in the squad.

However, before leading India in the junior level tournament, both Shafali and Richa have a lot of work to do as India are trailing 2-1 in the ongoing series. The host would be looking to level the series when they meet Australia in the fourth game at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium on Saturday, December 17.