The Indian squad for the upcoming ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, has been announced, with a mix of expected inclusions and surprising omissions. The tournament is set to commence on September 30.

One of the most significant developments is the return of experienced fast bowler Renuka Singh to the squad. Renuka has been sidelined since December 2024 due to a stress fracture and has not played international cricket in 2025. Her return is a major boost for India's pace attack, and she is expected to spearhead the bowling unit. Renuka will make her ODI comeback in the series against Australia in September, prior to the World Cup.

Another key inclusion is that of all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who has also recovered from injury to earn her place in the 15-member squad. Amanjot, who is currently at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence working on a few small niggles, will miss the ODI series against Australia to ensure she is fully fit for the World Cup. She is expected to contribute with both bat and ball.

However, the most talked-about decision has been the exclusion of explosive opener Shafali Verma. Shafali, once considered the poster girl of India's new batting generation, has been out of favor in the ODI setup since last year. Her last ODI appearance was in October 2024 against New Zealand. Despite scoring 527 runs in the Senior Women's One-Day Trophy, including two centuries and two fifties, she failed to impress the selectors enough to warrant a place in the World Cup squad.

The selectors have instead opted for Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana as the first-choice openers, with Yastika Bhatia as a backup option. According to reports, Shafali's struggles against the moving ball and inconsistency have cost her a place in the team. Since the 2022 World Cup, she has only managed 277 runs in 14 innings.

Other notable inclusions in the squad are Kranti Gaud and Sree Charani, who impressed in the recent series against England. Kranti, who made her ODI debut in Sri Lanka, took a six-wicket haul in the Chester-le-Street ODI against England. Charani bagged 10 wickets in five T20I games against England, earning her the Player of the Series award.

Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the side, with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy. This will be Harmanpreet's first ODI World Cup as captain. The spin department will be led by Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Shree Charani, and Radha Yadav.

India will play a three-match ODI series against Australia in New Chandigarh and Delhi, starting September 14, as part of their World Cup preparations. India will begin their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on September 30 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Indian team enters the tournament with strong momentum, having won a tri-series in Sri Lanka and a historic series victory in England. They will be aiming to win their first-ever Women's ODI World Cup title, but will face tough competition from defending champions Australia and England.

Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud.