Clinical India crush Sri Lanka by 97 runs to win Women's Tri-Nation tournament
India women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, her deputy Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma were retained in Grade A, the highest category of central contracts offered by BCCI.
Young Indian bowlers Charani and Goud have transitioned into international cricket seamlessly: Rana
Having retained the majority of their squad, MI will be the team to beat given their formidable batting, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals will be out to spoil their party.
All-rounder Amanjot Kaur did handle pace duties with Gaud, but India missed another proper bowling option in their line-up, be it pacers Renuka Thakur and Arundhati Reddy or spinner Radha Yadav.
Stylish opener Smriti Mandhana inched closer to reclaiming the world number one spot in the ICC Women's ODI batting rankings
Smriti Mandhana smashed the second-fastest ODI century by an Indian woman as the hosts handed Australia their heaviest defeat -- a 102-run thrashing -- in the second ODI.
The Indian women's cricket team will look to end a 47-year wait for its maiden ICC title when it takes the field at the ODI World Cup starting with a clash against Sri Lanka.
Both teams began their World Cup campaigns in contrasting fashion. Hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 59 runs, while Pakistan, collapsed against Bangladesh, losing by seven wickets in a match where they struggled against both pace and spin.
Wolvaardt and Luus joined forces to push the hosts on the backfoot.
'We'll sit down and review -- see what went well, where we can improve, and how we can keep learning every day. There'll be a meeting for that. One game won't change our mindset.'
India recovered to 43/1 in 10 overs when the players were forced off the field in Guwahati.
Off-spinner Deepti bowled the 48th over, and De Klerk managed to find two boundaries off her before applying finishing touches to the chase, smashing pacer Amanjot Kaur for two sixes in the 49th over.
The likes of Monica Patel, C Prathyusha have been dropped from the squad altogether.
Under pressure to revive their campaign after back-to-back defeats, India will have to consider adding a sixth bowler to bring more balance to their attack when they face England in a crucial Women's ODI World Cup match, in Indore, on Sunday.
The seasoned duo of Meg Lanning and Sophie Devine were also among the marquee picks. Giants bought Devine for Rs 2 crore, while UP Warriorz landed Lanning for Rs 1.90 crore.
'This Indian team is eager to thrive in the challenging conditions and ready to write a glorious chapter in the rich history of Indian cricket, says India captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
England had enforced a follow-on on the visitors after they folded for 231 while chasing hosts first innings total of 396 for nine declared.
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.
Harmanpreet Kaur's side would become the fourth team to book the semifinal berth if they get the better of the White Ferns here on the familiar mat of the DY Patil Stadium.
India's recent run of victories has bolstered confidence but the women's selection panel, headed by Neetu David, will face some tricky questions on the inclusion of Shafali Verma and pacer Renuka Thakur when it meets in Mumbai on Tuesday to pick the squad for the ODI World Cup.
India will have a final opportunity to check their game in pressure situation when they face Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on Sunday in what would be a dress rehearsal ahead of the marquee Women's World Cup semifinals against Australia next Wednesday.
India will have a final opportunity to iron out any flaws, especially when responding to pressure situations, when they take on Bangladesh in their concluding fixture ahead of Women's World Cup semi-finals, in Navi Mumbai, on Sunday.
India defeated Pakistan by 88 runs in their Women's World Cup match in Colombo on Sunday.
England beat India by eight wickets in rain-affected 2nd women''s ODI to level series 1-1
A clinical India outclassed Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the rain-hit opening ODI of the women's tri-nation series in Colombo, on Sunday.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, are coming into the showpiece event on the back of a hard-fought ODI series loss to Australia, where opener Smriti Mandhana slammed two back-to-back centuries and the spinners, led by Deepti Sharma, giving a good account of themselves.
Earlier, after incessant rain interrupted the exciting contest, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field against the hosts India.
For India, the battle is no longer about proving skill or form, but about crossing the elusive final hurdle that has so often tripped them -- including in this very tournament.
After being outplayed in the opener, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team roared back with a stunning 102-run victory, which was Australia's heaviest defeat in terms of runs. It was also India's first win over them in 12 matches.
Skipper Alyssa Healy led from the front with a masterful 142 as Australia pulled off a record chase of 331 to beat India by three wickets in their Women's World Cup group match on Sunday.
India were served well by their top order batters with each of them hitting their stride to make significant contributions, even as the middle order players did not get going.
The Indian bowlers hardly broke sweat to dismiss minnows Thailand for a paltry 37 before knocking off the runs in just six overs with nine wickets in hand.
Renuka Singh and Richa Ghosh were left out, while Shreyanka Patil was ignored as India named an 18-member Indian women's cricket team for the limited overs tour of Bangladesh.
Nilakshika Silva's blistering 33-ball 56 powered Sri Lanka to a thrilling three-wicket victory over India in the women's Tri-series, ending a seven-year losing streak against their rivals.
A player in A category gets paid Rs 50 lakh over and above match fees and Rs 30 lakh and Rs 10 lakh are allotted for B and C category respectively.
India Women succumbed to their sixth consecutive defeat and eighth in a row at home
England's decision to bat first on Tuesday night backfired as Indian bowlers raised their performance by a notch
Smriti Mandhana, Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar scored half-centuries to help India post 244 for 7 in their ICC women's World Cup opener against Pakistan, in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, on Sunday.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be determined to give their home fans a parting victory when they take on a fatigued Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru on Saturday, before the Women's Premier League moves to Lucknow for its third leg.
