IND W VS IRE W 1ST ODI

As women's cricket ushers in 2025, all eyes are on the maiden series of the year - a compelling three-match ODI contest between India Women and Ireland Women at Rajkot's prestigious Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium being the exclusive host. This historic first series of 2025 gains additional significance as it marks these teams' first ODI encounter since the 2017 Women's Quadrangular Series in South Africa. Also, this marks Ireland’s first ever bilateral series against India on Indian soil. Both teams come into this landmark series with winning momentum, India fresh from their commanding ODI sweep against West Indies, while Ireland rides high following their T20I dominance over Bangladesh. With both sides in prime form, this first international women's cricket showcase of 2025 promises to set a strong tone before the highly-anticipated Women's Ashes series that follows later in the month. In a strategic move ahead of the Ireland series, India Women will take the field without their regular captain and star batter Harmanpreet Kaur. The team will also miss the services of pace spearhead Renuka Singh Thakur, while Arundhati Reddy, Shafali Verma, and Radha Yadav continue to remain on the sidelines. The leadership mantle passes to Smriti Mandhana, whose growing experience as captain has coincided with her batting excellence. Supporting her will be Vice-captain Deepti Sharma, who will form a seasoned leadership duo. The batting lineup largely mirrors the one that faced West Indies, with the in-form Harleen Deol expected to anchor the top order alongside the consistent Jemimah Rodrigues. Richa Ghosh will be crucial in the finishing role, while rising talent Raghvi Bist, who impressed in her previous outing, retains her spot. While the top order presents a formidable look, the relatively inexperienced middle and lower-middle order will be under scrutiny. In the bowling department, with Renuka's absence, the pace responsibilities fall to Saima Thakor and Titas Sadhu, complemented by spin options Tanuja Kanwer and Sayali Satghare marshaled by Deepti herself. The Irish contingent, under the leadership of Gaby Lewis, enters this series ready to test their mettle against a strong Indian outfit. With seasoned campaigner Laura Delany adding depth to their ranks and the dynamic Orla Prendergast bringing her all-round prowess, Ireland possesses the firepower to potentially upset the hosts. Young and talented Freya Sargent has displayed potential with both bat and ball which makes her a valuable player in the series. The left-arm spin from Leah Paul will also pose challenges, especially on the turning wickets in India. In a significant setback to Ireland's campaign, talented wicketkeeper-batter Amy Hunter has been ruled out of the India tour due to a foot injury. The void will be filled by promising 20-year-old Joanna Loughran, who earns her call-up to the national squad as Hunter's replacement. With a promising Irish squad, the visitors will be eager to translate their recent success in the subcontinent into a strong showing in these ODIs, marking their first series of 2025 with impact. This series also marks its significance with regard to the ICC Women’s Championship for the upcoming Women’s World Cup later this year in India itself. In that, Ireland is at the bottom and is all set to feature in the World Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, the hosts occupy the third position. So, there’s a lot to play for and a lot is at stake. India will be looking to maintain their dominance and enter the grand tournament with positive momentum, while we just cannot dash out any stern examination from this highly talented Irish side. It will be a cracking series to watch out for!