By Srian Obeyesekere
While Sri Lanka is yet to name is squad for the home 2025 Women’s Tri-Nation ODI Series that will take place in Sri Lanka in April and May, South Africa and India have named their respective squads.
It will be historically the first women’s tri-nation international series hosted by Sri Lanka and will serve as a preparation ahead of the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup. All of the matches will be played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo and will be played in a double round-robin format. The tournament will commence with hosts Sri Lanka taking on India on April 27.
Meanwhile, South Africa have made a late adjustment to their squad for the upcoming Women’s ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka, after a batting all-rounder was ruled out due to illness.
The 31-year-old Anneke Bosch has been ruled out of the Proteas Women’s upcoming ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and India, with top-order batter Lara Goodall set to take her spot in the squad.
The change sees the batter brought in as cover ahead of the team’s departure to Colombo on Tuesday, 22 April.
Skipper Laura Wolvaardt will lead a blend of experience and uncapped talent, with the likes of Chloé Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus, and Nonkululeko Mlaba forming the core of the squad.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who was rested in their last ODI series against Ireland earlier this year, will lead the India Women’s Team.
Sri Lanka will be led by veteran batter Chamari Athapaththu who will have a strong young team at her disposal in a Lankan side that has discovered several potential top performers in a shakeup of a long conventional team with new brooms drawn from the schools’ periphery following a concentrated grassroots drive by Sri Lanka Cricket aimed at putting women’s cricket on par with the world’s best.
The tri-series will see each side play the others twice before the top two teams meet in the final on May 11.
Proteas Women Squad:
Laura Wolvaardt (Captain), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Nondumiso Shangase, Miané Smit, Chloé Tryon.
India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Tejal Hasabnis, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay
1st ODI – 27 April: Sri Lanka vs India
2nd ODI – 29 April: India vs South Africa
3rd ODI – 2 May: Sri Lanka vs South Africa
4th ODI – 4 May: Sri Lanka vs India
5th ODI – 7 May: South Africa vs India
6th ODI – 9 May: Sri Lanka vs South Africa
Final – 11 May
