Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Deepti to captain in Women's T20 Challenge

Star Indian players Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were on Monday named captains of the three teams for the Womens T20 Challenge to be played in Pune from May 23.The BCCI announced 16-member squads for each of three teams -- Harmanpreet-led Supernovas, Mandhana-led Trailblazers and Deepti-led Velocity.Trailblazers had won the previous edition held in 2020.

Star Indian players Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were on Monday named captains of the three teams for the Women's T20 Challenge to be played in Pune from May 23.

The BCCI announced 16-member squads for each of three teams -- Harmanpreet-led Supernovas, Mandhana-led Trailblazers, and Deepti-led Velocity.

Trailblazers had won the previous edition held in 2020. Veteran India cricketers Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Shikha Pandey, who played in the previous edition, are the notable absentees in the squads.

A total of 12 overseas players were also announced for the exhibition event including star South African opener Laura Wolvaardt and world number one bowler Sophie Ecclestone. Thai player Natthakan Chantam will make her second appearance in the competition.

The only Australian featuring in the line-up is leg spinner Alana King while the English cricketers include Ecclestone, Sophia Dunkley, and Kate Cross. Bangladesh cricketers Salma Khatun and Sharmin Akhter have also been picked. The West Indians include Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews.

South African captain Sune Luus and Wolvaardt will represent Supernovas and Velocity respectively.

The performers in the recently held Senior Women's T20 Trophy have also been rewarded. The tournament's leading run-getter K P Navgire and leading wicket-taker Aarti Kedar will play for Velocity. The upcoming edition is expected to be the last one with BCCI planning a full-fledged Women's IPL from next year.

Squads: Supernovas: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Taniya Bhatia, *Alana King, Ayush Soni, Chandu V, *Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Meghna Singh, Monica Patel, Muskan Malik, Pooja Vastrakar, Priya Punia, Rashi Kanojia, *Sophie Ecclestone, *Sune Luus, Mansi Joshi. Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Poonam Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, *Hayley Matthews, Jemimah Rodrigues, Priyanka Priyadarshini, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, S. Meghana, Saiqa Ishaque, *Salma Khatun, *Sharmin Akter, *Sophia Brown, Sujata Mallik, S.B.Pokharkar.

Velocity: Deepti Sharma (captain), Sneh Rana, Shafali Verma, *Ayabonga Khaka, K.P. Navgire, *Kathryn Cross, Keerthi James, *Laura Wolvaardt, Maya Sonawane, *Natthakan Chatham, Radha Yadav, Aarti Kedar, Shivali Shinde, Simran Bahadur, Yastika Bhatia, Pranavi Chandra.

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