BCCI Announces India Women’s Central Contracts for 2024-25; Star Player misses out

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the central contract list for the Indian women’s cricket team for the 2024-25 season. Several emerging talents have earned contracts, but selectors surprised everyone by omitting Harleen Deol.

Harmanpreet, Smriti, Deepti Continue in Grade A

The BCCI has categorized the contracted players into three grades. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, and key all-rounder Deepti Sharma have retained their positions in Grade A. Their consistent performances continue to keep them at the top tier.

Grade B Includes Rising Stars

Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, and hard-hitting opener Shafali Verma have been placed in Grade B. These players have shown promise across formats and continue to be vital to India’s setup.

Fresh Faces in Grade C

Grade C features a blend of experience and fresh talent. New entrants in this grade include off-spinner Shreyanka Patil, pacer Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, and wicketkeeper Uma Chetry. They are joined by Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana, and Pooja Vastrakar.

Harleen Deol Among Major Omissions

One of the biggest talking points from the announcement is Harleen Deol’s exclusion. Harleen had recently delivered strong performances, including her maiden ODI century against West Indies in Vadodara and a subsequent 89-run innings against Ireland in Rajkot. Despite her form, she, along with Meghna Singh, Devika Vaidya, Sabbineni Meghana, and Anjali Sarvani, has not been offered a contract this year.

Full List of Annual Player Contracts 2024-25

A Grade:

• Harmanpreet Kaur
• Smriti Mandhana
• Deepti Sharma

Grade B:

• Renuka Thakur
• Jemimah Rodrigues
• Richa Ghosh
• Shafali Verma

Grade C:

• Yastika Bhatia
• Radha Yadav
• Shreyanka Patil
• Titas Sadhu
• Arundhati Reddy
• Amanjot Kaur
• Uma Chetry
• Sneh Rana
• Pooja Vastrakar

Focus on ODI World Cup Preparations

Looking ahead, the Indian women’s cricket team will participate in a tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, involving South Africa and the hosts. This series, scheduled between April and May at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, will serve as crucial preparation ahead of the ODI World Cup.

ODI World Cup Likely in September

The Women’s ODI World Cup is tentatively scheduled for September 2025. The BCCI, during its recent apex council meeting, discussed potential venues, which may include Vizag, Punjab, Mullanpur, Indore, Trivandrum, and Guwahati.

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