Sports psychologist to assist India at Women's T20 World Cup training camp

A large squad of India probables, minus those featuring in the Women's Hundred or Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), will assemble in Bengaluru this week for a fitness and conditioning camp at the National Cricket Academy, as part of their preparation for the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 slated to be held between October 3 to 20.

The Indian team doesn't have any international cricket between now and the start of the World Cup, even as the India A team is in Australia for a multi-format series. Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh won't feature in the first of two camps as they're away in England for the Hundred, while Jemimah Rodrigues is set for her maiden stint in the WCPL 2024 with Trinbago Knight Riders.

ESPNcricinfo understands the camp is expected to focus largely on fielding and fitness over the first week, before moving into specifics such as spot bowling and range hitting. The BCCI has also engaged a sports psychologist to conduct sessions for the team, in line with a request the captain Harmanpreet Kaur has made repeatedly, to help players open up on their challenges and work with to combat pressure and mental fatigue.

The squad that will be picked for the World Cup will then reconvene early September for an intense skill-based camp as part of their final run into the tournament, which India will be attempting to win for the first time after having faltered on a number of occasions under pressure, most-notably against Australia in the final [2020] and semi-finals [2022].

Shreyanka Patil, who picked up a finger injury during the Women's Asia Cup last month, is believed to be on track to make a full recovery before the tournament and will be part of this conditioning camp. There's guarded optimism around Yastika Bhatia, who is expected to continue with her rehabilitation at the NCA for a posterior cruciate ligament injury in her left knee.

Bhatia's absence has led to the team management experimenting to find a stable No. 3. D Hemalatha and Uma Chetry, who made her debut at the Asia Cup, have been tried at that position. Bhatia last featured in a T20I on the tour of Bangladesh in April.

The selectors are keen on a largely spin-based squad. But the uncertainty around the host venue, in the wake of security challenges in Bangladesh due to civil unrest, will also put the spotlight on the pace bowling group.

Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar have been the regulars in recent times, with Arundhati Reddy pushing for a regular berth on the back of impressive performances in the domestic season for Kerala as well as for the Delhi Capitals in the WPL. Among other pacers in the fray are Meghna Singh, currently on tour in Australia, and Titas Sadhu.

The fast-bowling group will be put through their paces by Troy Cooley, the former Australia fast bowler, who is one of the bowling consultants at the NCA. The group is also expected to play a few intra-squad games in September prior to their departure for the World Cup.