Jhulan Goswami returns for T20I tri-series

A quicker than expected recovery from a heel injury has helped Jhulan Goswami return to the India Women squad for the upcoming triangular Twenty20 International series at home against Australia Women and England Women.

Goswami, 35, had dropped out of contention after suffering the injury during the one-day international series in South Africa earlier this year, and has since missed the T20Is in South Africa and the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship one-day international series against Australia at home, where Australia are 1-0 ahead after winning the first game by eight wickets.

Rumeli Dhar, the 34-year-old all-rounder who was recalled to the national side during the tour of South Africa after a gap of six years, retained her spot.

But Rajeshwari Gayakwad, the left-arm spinner, was left out with the selectors opting to bring back Ekta Bisht, another left-arm spinner who was a part of the action at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 but played the last of her 36 T20Is back in December 2016.

Mona Meshram, the middle-order batter who has been more of an ODI pick in recent times, was also recalled to the team after being out of favour in T20Is since April 2013.

There was, however, no room in the 15-member squad, to be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, for Radha Yadav, the left-arm spinner who made her international debut in South Africa.

The series will start with a game on 22 March between India and Australia at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium – the venue for all the games – and run till 31 March.

Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram