Goswami returns for tri-series, Bisht recalled

An early return from injury has brought Jhulan Goswami back into the 15-member India T20I squad that will take on Australia and England in the forthcoming tri-series in Mumbai.

Goswami, who was sidelined from the ongoing ODI series against Australia with a heel injury sustained during the ODI leg of the South Africa tour last month, will lead a four-member pace contingent that will also include allrounder Rumeli Dhar, Shikha Pandey and Pooja Vastrakar. Dhar made her comeback to international cricket after a six-year hiatus, during the T20I leg of the South Africa tour, where she had replaced Goswami.

Ekta Bisht, who had been left out of the T20I squad against South Africa in favour of the teenaged Radha Yadav, has also been recalled. Fellow left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who played the first ODI against Australia on Monday, has missed out. Mona Meshram, who was not included for the T20I series in South Africa, but is in the ODI squad against Australia, has retained her place for the tri-series, whereas Sushma Verma, the wicketkeeper in the 50-over format, makes way for Taniya Bhatia, who featured in the T20I series against South Africa.

The tri-series will be played from March 22 to 31 at the Brabourne Stadium. In the lead-up to the series, an India A side led by S Meghna will play two warm-up matches against England, who are scheduled to arrive in India on March 15. Both the practice matches will be played in Mumbai, on March 18 and 19.

India Women's T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram

India A squad: S Meghna (capt), Vanitha VR, D Hemlatha, Monikha Das, Tarannum Pathan, Priyanka Priyadarshini, Arundhati Reddy, R Kalpana (wicketkeeper), Radha Yadav, Kavita Patil, Shanti Kumari, Preeti Bose, Sheral Rozario, Harleen Deol