Hours before they play the semi-final against Australia at the T20 World Cup, India have been dealt with a major selection challenge, with allrounder Pooja Vastrakar ruled out. Sneh Rana, one of the travelling reserves, has been approved as a replacement.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that Vastrakar, along with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, had reported sick on Monday and were in the hospital briefly on Wednesday evening. There is no information yet on the nature of their illness. The BCCI medical team is yet to make a call if Harmanpreet can take part in the semi-final.
Apart from Rana, India could consider bringing in left-arm seamer Anjali Sarvani, who is yet to get a game in the competition, for Vastrakar. Another option is left-arm spinner Radha who has been economical in her three games so far, conceding at 6.22 in nine overs for two wickets. But she too had missed India’s previous game, against Ireland, because of illness, and Devika Vaidya played that match.
Vastrakar, meanwhile, has been used as both a new ball and a middle-overs option. Her 12.2 overs across four games have yielded just two wickets at an economy of 7.21. She had been undergoing rehab for a knee injury since October, and had missed much of India’s build-up to the World Cup. Her inclusion was subject to fitness clearance, which she eventually received prior to the competition.
(With Inputs from ESPN)
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