Poonam Yadav dissects India’s probable team combination for WT20 World Cup (Twitter)
India women’s team will look forward to ending their ICC trophy draught as they embark on the T20 World Cup 2024 journey. The tournament is scheduled to commence on October 3 in the United Arab Emirates. The mega event was shifted from Bangladesh as the country was embroiled in political unrest. The venue change meant several teams tweaking their team combinations, but the Indian team has kept their team intact.
The UAE pitches will potentially assist spinners and India are one of the few teams that has got a balance in the spinners and pacers ratio. Former India cricketer, Poonam Yadav opined on the combination of the Indian team. She particularly backed the wrist-spinner Asha Shobana to get featured in the playing XI. She added that wrist spinners can turn the ball on any track.
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“If the dew factor becomes significant, Captain Harmanpreet Kaur may opt for a team combination that includes one or two spinners. While she has shown confidence in the pacers, given the pitch’s bounce, she may also consider using Asha Shobana, a wrist-spinner. Wrist spinners can turn the ball on any type of track, and their pace is generally slower,” Shobana said speaking to Star Sports.
“Deepti Sharma will undoubtedly play a key role in leading India’s bowling attack. It’s possible that both Deepti Sharma and Asha Shobana could be included in the playing eleven. However, given Harmanpreet Kaur’s preference for pacers, it’s likely she will primarily rely on them,” she added.
Shobana garnered immense attention with her match-winning knock for Mumbai Indians against Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League. She has played two ODIs and as many T20Is for India Women. She has managed to claim four wickets in each format. The 33-year-old was impressive against South Africa in the recently concluded multi-format series. She claimed four wickets in the first ODI in Bengaluru.