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Selection of Indian women’s team for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand and the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup has already faced multiple questions marks because of various reasons. Omission of players like Jemimah Rodrigues and all-rounder Shikha Pandey baffled experts and the followers of the game and now Indian women’s team batsman Punam Raut has expressed her disgruntlement after not being selected in the 15-member squad that was announced on Thursday (January 6).
Message on Twitter
Raut expressed her disappointment on Twitter and wrote, “Having been considered amongst the experienced batsmen and a consistent run-scorer for India, I’m extremely disappointed at not being a part of the World Cup squad. In 2021, I averaged 73.75, scoring 295 runs, which included a hundred and two half-centuries in the six ODI games that I played. It is very disheartening to be continuously left out even after performing. Having said that, I would like to extend my best wishes to all the players who will be representing India.”
The 32-year-old Raut, scored 2299 runs in 73 ODI matches at an average of 34.83 and with a highest score of 109 (not out). But not only in terms of stats, but also in terms of experience she has plenty to offer. Raut has featured in three ODI World Cups and four T20 World Cups.
An impressive 2021
In 2021, Raut took part in six ODI matches and notched 295 runs in total and at an average of 73.75. In this period; she managed to score two half-centuries and a ton.
It is believed that her strike rate might have been a reason for her disqualification from the squad. Her strike rate before the year 2021 was 56.96- considered too slow for the modern day’s cricket. Though next year the right-handed batsman changed her batting style, played some gusty knocks and because of those changes her strike rate saw a big improvement in next year. In 2021, her strike rate had gone up to 68.92.
With Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma as the two openers, Indian team might depend a lot on the 21-year-old Yastika Bhatia who had a good series against Australia.
India squad for 5 ODIs against New Zealand and ICC Women’s World Cup 2022: Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Renuka Singh Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav
Standby Players: Sabbhineni Meghana, Ekta Bisht, Simran Dil Bahadur
