Richa Ghosh to Miss India’s ODI Series Against New Zealand; New Talent Gets an Opportunity

Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh will miss the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand as she is to sit for Class 12 board examinations. Though she made her debut at the young age of 16 in 2020, Richa has been a frequent visitor to the Indian team. With turning 21, now she will leave cricket to focus on her academics.

Ghosh is unavailable for the 16-16 strong squad that was announced for the series along with four new faces for the series as promising talent. Maiden call-ups for seam-bowling all-rounders Sayali Satghare and Saima Thakor, leg-spinner Priya Mishra, and middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis. Saima was in the reserve for the T20 World Cup recently, whereas Priya was listed as a non-traveling reserve.

In addition to Ghosh, Asha Sobhana, the leg-spinner, will miss the series due to injury, while Pooja Vastrakar has been rested. Even though India had a group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup in the UAE, thereby ending their campaign abruptly, having lost early against New Zealand, Harmanpreet Kaur continues to remain the skipper. Her leadership will again come under scrutiny as the side hopes to stage a turnaround under her in ODIs. Smriti Mandhana has been retained in a vice-captaincy role supporting to steady the ship from a recent form slump.

Most of the players from the World Cup T20 squad have been retained for this series, but changes have been made. Missing from the squad on this occasion is Sajana Sajeevan, though no explanation has been forthcoming for this and she featured in two of the three matches played during the World Cup T20, as did Muktha, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. No official statement was forthcoming even after being dropped for the final group-stage clash with Australia.

Fresh faces were rewarded for good shows during India A’s multi-format tour of Australia earlier this year. These inclusions are a step forward towards rejuvenation of the team, especially after the shocker of the T20 World Cup, when India could only falter by reaching the semi-final stages, losing narrowly by nine runs against defending champions Australia.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the series, starting with the first ODI on October 24. The remaining matches will then be played on the same ground, on 27 and 29 October, bringing in enough scope to see the new faces shine in the proceedings.

Here is the Indian women’s cricket team before a series of matches scheduled against New Zealand. All these games can be watched live, and platform providers also give out options to “watch live cricket for free.” A combination of veteran players and upcoming talent, India’s objective in this series would be to regain confidence and form by taking this series as a stepping stone to the international main events.

Harmanpreet Kaur, the godfather of cricket is expected to lead the team as her achievements and influence are worth it. Youth talent is being added to strengthen the team more deeply due to the absence of relatively more experienced players like Richa Ghosh and Asha Sobhana.

This series is not only a comeback opportunity for India but also prepares and accesses the resources it needs for future competitions. The selection of young and dynamic players will testify to strategic planning toward building a more robust team in the future.

FAQ

• Why is Richa Ghosh out of India’s ODI series against New Zealand?

Richa Ghosh will miss the ODI series since she will be studying for the Class 12 board examinations.

• Who are the new faces in India’s squad for the series?

Sayali Satghare and Saima Thakor, two seam-bowling all-rounders, leg-spinner Priya Mishra, and middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis are the players getting maiden call-ups.

• Why is Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy being questioned?

Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy is being questioned after India’s early exit from T20 World Cup, where they got eliminated in the group phase after losing to New Zealand.

• Where can followers watch the ODI series live?

The viewers can “watch live cricket for free” on different sites like Winexch where they may “track the series and know the matches.”.