Jemimah, Sajana, Priya In Board President XI Squad For Tour Game Against South Africa

Jemimah Rodrigues, Sajana Sajeevan, and Priya Punia are amongst the notable names included in the Board President XI squad for the tour game against South Africa, to be played in Bengaluru on June 13.

On Friday, Jemimah was included in India's Test and white-ball teams for the upcoming home series against South Africa, but her selection is subject to fitness. The right-handed player had missed the five-match T20I series in Bangladesh in April-May due to a back injury, for which she was doing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

All-rounder Sajana retained her place in the T20I team following her debut on the Bangladesh tour, while top-order batter Priya, who last played for India in July 2023, earned a call-up to the Test side.

Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry, a member of the Indian team winning the Asian Games gold medal last year, who was also included in all three squads for South Africa, also gets a place in the Board President XI, with Uttar Pradesh wicketkeeper-batter Shipra Giri included as a backup to her.

Other known players drafted in the Board President XI squad include India off-spin all-rounder Minnu Mani, left-handed batting all-rounder Shubha Satheesh, and hard-hitting batter Kiran Navgire. Members of India’s 2023 U19 World Cup-winning team Shweta Sehrawat, Shabnam Shakil, and Mannat Kashyap, who made her senior ODI debut against Australia in January this year, are included too. WPL and domestic performers like Tanuja Kanwar, Priya Mishra, Saima Thakor, and Sayali Satghare also get a look-in.

The One-day game between Board President XI and the touring South Africa side will be played on June 13 in Bengaluru ahead of the three-match ODI series, starting on June 16. It is followed by a one-off Test, and the three T20Is to be held in Chennai.

India will be playing its third Test in seven months, having defeated both England and Australia in back-to-back games in December last year at Mumbai. The T20I series will serve as a platform for India and South Africa to finetune their combinations ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup happening in Bangladesh from October 3-20.

Board President XI squad: Jemimah Rodrigues, Minnu Mani, Priya Punia, Shubha Satheesh, Shweta Sehrawat, Uma Chetry (WK), Shipra Giri (WK), Sajana Sajeevan, Kiran Navgire, Tanuja Kanwar, Mannat Kashyap, Priya Mishra, Shabnam Shakil, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare