The Indian women’s cricket team faces a significant setback with allrounder Amanjot Kaur sidelined by a back injury for 4-5 months, casting a shadow over their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in England. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, speaking at the BCCI squad unveiling in Mumbai, openly acknowledged the challenge of replacing her teammate.
‘Amanjot’s absence creates a big gap. She’s out for the next few months due to her back issue, which also kept her out of the South Africa series,’ Harmanpreet revealed. The captain emphasized that scouting a like-for-like replacement was ‘extremely difficult,’ highlighting Amanjot’s irreplaceable seam-bowling allround abilities.
Enter Bharti Fulmali and the returning Radha Yadav. Bharti’s retention stems from solid performances in limited South Africa appearances, while Radha, absent since last year’s England series, returns with a bang. Boasting 103 wickets in 89 T20Is, she’s primed for her fifth World Cup, her comeback hastened by injuries to Amanjot and Kasvi Gautam—the latter facing knee surgery.
‘We’ve brought back Radha for her versatile contributions across departments. Bharti has shown promise whenever called upon. We’re adapting the team balance with who’s fit and ready,’ Harmanpreet explained.
Addressing bowling woes from the South Africa debacle, she defended her unit. ‘T20 cricket is brutal for bowlers with boundaries everywhere, but they tried hard. That was our only off-series since the last World Cup—we’ve dominated elsewhere. One blip isn’t the full picture.’
Preparations intensify with a camp next week, focusing on improvement areas. The England T20I series starting May 28 offers vital practice. ‘This series and camp will help us hit top form for the World Cup,’ Harmanpreet asserted, rallying her troops for the global showdown.
