Hrishikesh Kanitkar appointed as batting coach of Indian women's team

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Hrishikesh Kanitkar as the Batting Coach of the Senior Women's cricket team. Kanitkar will join the team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia starting December 9 in Mumbai.

Earlier on Friday BCCI announced the Indian women's squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia. India will play their first T20I match against Australia on December 9 at the D.Y. Patil Stadium while the second match will take place on December 11 at the same venue. Both teams will move on to the Brabourne Stadium for the third, fourth and fifth T20I which will be held on December 14, 17 and 20 respectively.

Ramesh Powar, former Head Coach of the senior women's team will join VVS Laxman, Head Cricket, National Cricket Academy.

"Ramesh Powar, former Head Coach of the senior women's team will join VVS Laxman, Head Cricket, National Cricket Academy and will switch to Men's cricket as part of the restructuring module of the BCCI," BCCI said in a statement.

"It is an honour to be appointed as the new Batting Coach of the Senior Women's team. I see tremendous prospects in this team and we have a good mix of youth and experience. I believe this team is ready for the challenge ahead. We have a few marquee events coming up and it is going to be exciting for the team and myself as batting coach," Commenting on his appointment, Hrishikesh Kanitkar said in an official statement released by BCCI

"I have had an enriching experience in my stint as Head Coach of the senior women's team. Over the years I have worked closely with some of the stalwarts of the game and upcoming talents of the country. With my new role at the NCA, I will be looking to take forward my experience over the years to help build talent for the future. I look forward to working in tandem with VVS Laxman for the further development of the game and bench strength," Ramesh Powar said.

"With Ramesh Powar coming on board (as a spin bowling coach), we are sure he will bring his expertise and experience to the National Cricket Academy. Having worked in domestic, age-group cricket and the international circuit, I am sure he will play an active role in the betterment of the game. I look forward to working with him in his new role at the NCA," VVS Laxman, Head Cricket, NCA said.

Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the 15-member squad while star batter Smriti Mandhana would play the role of her deputy. India will head into the series with two wicketkeepers Yastika Bhatia and Richa Ghosh. The D.Y. Patil Stadium and the CCI in Mumbai will host the T20I series against Australia.The usual suspects, like Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verman, and Deepti Sharma, have made the cut. Spinner Rajeshwari Gaikwad's name appears on the list as well. Pooja Vastrakar had been ruled out from the series due to injury and was not considered for selection.

"Monika Patel, Arundhati Reddy, SB Pokharkar and Simran Bahadur have been selected as net bowlers. Pooja Vastrakar is ruled out owing to an injury and was not considered for selection," BCCI said in a statement.

With the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 fast approaching, the five-match assignment will be crucial for both India and Australia in finding the right combination for the marquee tournament.

India's squad for the T20I series against Australia: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper) and Harleen Deol.