Bengal announce squad for the Senior Women's T20 meet; Saika Ishaque to lead; Jhulan Goswami to mentor the squad

The Cricket Association of Bengal announced the squad for the upcoming Senior Women's T20 Trophy. Spinner Saika Ishaque was named the captain of the squad. Meanwhile, Tanushree Sarkar, who returned from Railways to rejoin her home state, has been named the vice-captain of the team.

Bengal will start the Senior Women's T20 Trophy 2024 on October 17 against Hyderabad in Surat. They will play six group-stage games against Hyderabad, Saurashtra, Baroda, Manipur, Jharkhand and Nagaland. 

Saika Ishqaue, who has been one of the best left-arm spinners in India for the last few years and earned her India cap after a stunning WPL 2023, was named the captain of the team. Though injuries have bothered her a bit since the last season, Saika knows how to make a comeback at the biggest stage of Indian cricket. The Mumbai Indians spinner missed the flight for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 and will be eager to make a solid return with some great performances for Bengal.

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On the other hand, her deputy Tanushree Sarkar left Railways, the most successful team in tournament history after Bengal, to come back to her home state. Tanushree before joining the Railways, captained the Bengal U-19 Women's team successfully and knows most of the current players of the squad. 

Along with her, Priyanka Bala, Hrishita Basu, Tithi Das and last season's captain Mita Paul will be key players for Bengal. Priyanka last season made her debut for Mumbai Indians and is also a former Railways player. Bala's ability to strike the ball will be crucial for Bengal in the shortest format of the game.

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Meantime, Hrishita Basu's 360-degree game can be an X-factor for Bengal in tournaments like this. Both Bala and Basu are good with the work behind the stumps but as per reports, if both play in the team, Basu will be donning the gloves.

All-rounders Mita Paul, Jhumia Khatun and Sushmita Ganguly will provide the balance in the team. All three of them can bowl anywhere from the first to the 20th over of the match and this will prove as an added advantage for the captain. Along with them, senior players like Prativa Rana and Shrayoshi Aich will offer the experience this squad needs.

Rana, one of the best strikers of the ball, also has the experience of leading the Bengal team in the past and her ability to change the gears in the middle overs will be pivotal for the team's success. Meantime, Aich's experience in bamboozling the opponent batters with her leg-spin trickery will be critical in resisting the opponents to lower totals.

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However, fast bowler Titas Sadhu and opener Dhara Gujjar will have to clear the fitness test ahead of the tournament as they are still recovering from injuries. 

Former first-class cricketer Probal Dutta will continue as the head coach of the team, while legend Jhulan Goswami will serve as the mentor for the upcoming tournament.

Bengal squad for the Senior Women's T20 Trophy 2024-25

Saika Ishaque (C), Tanushree Sarkar (VC), Priyanka Bala, Hrishita Basu, Mita Paul, Sneha Gupta, Tithi Das, Aruna Barman, Shrayoshi Aich, Sushmita Ganguly, Prativa Rana, Sujata Dey, Jhumia Khatun, Sashti Mondal, Monika Mal, Piyali Ghosh, Dhara Gujjar, Titas Sadhu. 

Bengal's schedule for the Senior Women's T20 Trophy

• Hyderabad vs Bengal | 17 October 2024 - 11 am IST - C K Pithawala Ground, Surat
• Bengal vs Saurashtra | 20 October 2024 - 4.30 pm IST - Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat
• Baroda vs Bengal | 22 October 2024 - 11 am IST - Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat
• Bengal vs Manipur | 24 October 2024 - 11 am IST - C K Pithawala Ground, Surat
• Jharkhand vs Bengal | 26 October 2024 - 11 am IST - Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat
• Bengal vs Nagaland | 28 October 2024 - 4.30 pm IST - Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat