However, Wayanad-born all-rounder Minnu Mani, who made history last year as the first female cricketer from Kerala to represent India, did not make the squad for the marquee tournament. Minnu made her debut for the national team in a T20 match against Bangladesh on July 9, 2023. Asha Sobhana Asha had made a memorable debut in Bengaluru earlier this year against South Africa, contributing significantly to India's commanding 143-run victory over the Proteas at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Her debut was marked by a stellar bowling display, as she claimed four crucial wickets in the match. Her maiden scalp of Marizanne Kapp broke a threatening partnership and later she cleaned up the tail, restricting South Africa to a modest total. Sajana Sajeevan Hailing from Mananthavady in Wayanad, Sajana's rise to the top was never easy. Excelling in multiple sports including football and athletics, the youngster finally zeroed in on cricket. With her impressive performances, she caught the attention of selectors in domestic cricket. The allrounder showcased her captaincy skills as Kerala's under-23 team under her clinched the Twenty-20 Super League title in 2019. Her efforts earned her a place in the Mumbai Indians team for the WPL, where in one of the matches she made headlines with a last-ball six to secure a victory for her team. After the IPL, she went on to feature in the Indian squad for the Bangladesh series this year. The rise of Sajana from being a small town girl to representing India on the world stage is nothing short of inspirational. India look to end title drought Smriti Mandhana will serve as vice-captain and will open the innings alongside Shafali Verma. Yastika Bhatia, who is currently recovering from an injury, and Shreyanka Patil have also secured places in the squad. Their inclusion in the playing eleven will depend on fitness assessments. The squad includes three travelling reserves and two non-travelling reserves. India's squad for Women's T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk)*, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajana Sajeevan. PTI Travelling Reserves: Uma Chetryi (wicketkeeper), Tanuja Kanwar, Simran Dil. Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra.