Indian women team set to assemble in Bengaluru for a camp ahead of Australia tour

The Indian women’s squad consisting of a group of 30 players is expected to assemble in Bengaluru on Tuesday for a camp in the lead up to the multi-format tour of Australia which starts next month. Five Indian players, including Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Smriti Mandhana, currently plying their trade in the inaugural edition of the Hundred will join the camp next week. 

As per reports in ESPNCricinfo, India is slated to depart for Australia from Bengaluru on 29th or 30th August before undergoing a two-week mandatory self-isolation. A final squad will be selected from a pool of 35 players including the ones who will be returning from the UK. 

Among the 30 players who will be part of the camp, 21 of them was part of the 21 member squad that toured England in June-July. BCCI is yet to make any official announcements regarding the camp but as per reports in Cricinfo, it is understood that Railway’s fast bowler Meghna Singh is among those players who has been asked to join the camp. Mansi Joshi missed out while Amanjot Kaur, captain of Chandigarh has been named in the probable list. 

The camp will focus on match simulation, skill-based training and rigorous fitness regimes. Intrasquad pink ball matches will be played to get the players acclimatised before playing the historic pink-ball Test in Australia. The multi-format tour will consist of three ODIs, three T20Is and a pink ball Test. 

Australia is currently the world champions in the T20I format after beating India in the Women’s T20 World Cup last year. They are currently on a 24 match winning streak in the fifty overs format and will look to continue their dream run.