Shafali returns to T20 side for England tour, fit-again Yastika also comes back
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's sturdy middle-order, in-form skipper Smriti Mandhana and a partisan home crowd will be the major challenges UP Warriorz will have to contend with when the two teams clash in the Women's Premier League match in Bengaluru on Monday.
Batting first, RCB rode on skipper Smriti Mandhana's 37-ball 53 and useful contributions from Ellyse Perry (49 off 38 balls), Richa Ghosh (36 off 22) and Georgia Wareham (31 off 10) to post a commanding 199 for three.
Skipper Mithali Raj led from the front with an 89-run knock to save the Indian women's cricket team from a whitewash by guiding it to a comfortable five-wicket in the third and final ODI against Australia in Hobart on Sunday. The Indians, having already surrendered the series by losing the first two matches, managed to end the tour on a positive note with a consolation victory. Electing to bat after winning the toss, the Australian team lost a couple of early wickets before half-centuries by Elyse Perry (50) and Alex Blackwell (60) helped the team post 231/7 in their 50 overs. Blackwell's 60 from 64 balls was noteworthy given that Australia's strong batting line-up struggled to score freely in the face of a disciplined bowling display from India.
Beth Mooney's brilliant unbeaten hundred gave Australia a five-wicket win over India -- their 26th on the trot -- in the second women's ODI, in Mackay, on Friday.
India are through to take on England in the ICC Women's World Cup final after defending champions Australia fell 36 runs short of their victory target in a dramatic semi-final at Derby on Thursday.
Skipper Meg Lanning's blazing knock helped Australia reach a record total before Megan Schutt led a brilliant bowling performance to beat arch-rivals England by 57 runs in the final of the women's T20 tri-series.
West Indies women outclassed Australia by eight wickets to win their maiden ICC Women's World T20 championship in Kolkata, on Sunday.
India have four wins in five games but, unfortunately for a team high on potential, it haven't looked like they have identified the brand of cricket that consistently works for it.
India will face their biggest challenge so far in the ICC Women's World T20 when they lock horns with a gifted Australian team in an inconsequential game, in Guyana, on Saturday.
Mandhana blasted 9 fours and 3 sixes in her 55-ball innings and shared a 68-run third wicket partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (43 runs off 27) to power India to a competitive 167 for 8 at the Providence Stadium.
England is the third team to figure in the tournament in which all matches will be played at the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium.
Schutt became the first Australian bowler to claim a hat-trick in this format.
Riding on Harmanpreet Kaur's fiery knock of 171 off 115 balls, India beat Australia by 26 runs to book a spot in the ICC Women's World Cup final.
Dravid, who is also tipped to take additional charge as the director of NationalCricketAcademy in Bengaluru, had recently suggested that talented young cricketers should get some vocational training, which can help them later in their lives.