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BENGALURU : The 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL) gets underway in Vadodara on Friday and the expanding edition of the five-team league is tipped to showcase India's formidable pool of exciting talent over the next four weeks.
Star opener Smriti Mandhana, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh and all-rounder Deepti Sharma were on Saturday named in the ICC Women's T20I Team of Year 2024 which was dominated by the Indians. Besides the three Indians, the ICC team has two South Africans, and one player each from Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, Australia, Ireland and Pakistan. Mandhana and Deepti were also named in the ICC ODI Team of the Year 2024 on Friday. Mandhana had an outstanding 2024, beginning the year with a brilliant 54 against Australia as she finished the year with three consecutive half-centuries against the West Indies at home.
Star batter Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma were on Friday named in the ICC women's ODI Team of the Year 2024 but none of their male counterparts found a place in the men's side that was dominated by Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The women's all-star team has three players from England, two Australians, two South Africans and one each from Sri Lanka and West Indies, besides the two Indians. The 28-year-old Mandhana accumulated 747 runs in 13 matches to be the highest run-scorer in women's ODIs in 2024. She is also in the running for the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024 award.
Smriti Mandhana waltzed her way to the fastest century by an Indian while Pratika Rawal compiled her maiden hundred as India amassed 435/5, their highest-ever total in the 50-over format, in the third and final women's ODI against Ireland in Rajkot on Wednesday. The stand-in skipper Smriti's scintillating 135 (80 balls), her 10th ODI century, came off just 70 deliveries, set the tone for India breaching the 400-run mark for the first time, joining Australia and New Zealand in that elite list.
A dominant India will fancy their chances of completing a clean sweep of the women's ODI series against Ireland in the third and final match in Rajkot on Wednesday, having recorded two convincing wins in the preceding games. With another power-packed batting performance, the Indian team will be aiming to continue their impressive run and finish on a high note. Pratika Rawal, after scoring her third half-century in just four innings, will be eager to translate her start into a maiden hundred.
Following a commanding performance by the youngsters in the opening match, India will eye another clinical display from them to seal the three-match series when they face Ireland in the second women's ODI here on Sunday. Despite fielding a relatively inexperienced side, Indian women enjoyed a perfect day in the first ODI, registering a six-wicket win to take a 1-0 series lead. Captain Smriti Mandhana continued her fine form, laying the foundation with a forceful 41, while the efforts of Pratika Rawal and Tejal Hasabnis, who shared a 100-plus partnership to steer the chase, were crucial.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Singh Thakur have been rested for India women's three-match home ODI series against Ireland, the BCCI announced on Monday. Opener Smriti Mandhana will lead the side in the series, beginning on January 10 at Rajkot, in the absence of Harmanpreet. Harmanpreet had suffered a knee injury during the home series against the West Indies last month, forcing her to sit out of the last two T20Is before returning to play three ODIs. Before that, the 35-year-old had sustained a neck injury during the match against Pakistan in the Women's T20 World Cup in Dubai in October last year.
31 India off-spinner Deepti Sharma climbed a spot to enter the top 5 in the latest ICC women's ODI ranking for bowlers following her match-winning performances in the recently-concluded series against the West Indies at home. Deepti, who is fifth now, has 665 rating points and is marginally behind fourth-placed South Africa's Marizanne Kapp (677 rating points). The 27-year-old made headlines, taking eight wickets in two matches, including 6/31 in the last game as India completed a clean sweep in the three-match series in Vadodara.