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Seam-bowling allrounder Kashvee Gautam is in line for a T20I debut after being included in India’s squad for the five-match T20I series in South Africa in April. Gautam has played one Test and six ODIs, and was in action in both longer formats during the recent tour of Australia, but she has not yet played a T20I.
The selectors have also included Uma Chetry in the squad, ostensibly as back-up to regular keeper Richa Ghosh.
Chetry has replaced the 17-year-old G Kamalini, who has not played an international game since her T20I debut in the home series against Sri Lanka in December. She was part of the T20I squad that recently toured Australia, but did not feature in the series that India won 2-1.
Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who played all five T20Is against Sri Lanka but remained on the bench through the Australia T20Is, has also been left out. Allrounder Amanjot Kaur, who endured a tough time in Australia, scoring 3 and 1 in her two T20I appearances and conceding 30 runs in three overs, is also out of the squad.
Gautam is one of four seam options in India’s squad alongside Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh and Kranti Gaud. Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil make up the spin attack with Vaishnavi out.
The South Africa tour will kick off in Durban, which hosts the first two T20Is on April 17 and 19, before proceeding to Johannesburg for the third and fourth T20Is on April 22 and 25. Benoni will host the series finale on April 27.
India squad for T20Is vs South Africa
Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Shreyanka Patil, Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Uma Chetry (wk), Anushka Sharma.
