Guwahati: Assam cricketer Jintimani Kalita has received her maiden call-up to the Indian women’s Test team after being named in the squad for the upcoming multi-format tour of South Africa in December.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads on November 9, including Kalita in both the Test and One-Day International (ODI) teams. However, she has not been selected for the T20 International (T20I) squad.
The selection marks an important milestone in Kalita’s cricketing career, giving her an opportunity to represent India in the longest format of the game during the South Africa tour.
India are scheduled to play one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is against South Africa. The tour will begin with a one-off Test in Gqeberha on December 9.
Smriti Mandhana will captain the Indian team across all three formats. Deepti Sharma has been appointed vice-captain of the Test and ODI squads, while Shafali Verma will serve as vice-captain of the T20I side.
Kalita included in Test and ODI Squads
The 15-member Test squad features Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harleen Deol.
Wicketkeepers Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia have also been included, alongside Deepti Sharma, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Jintimani Kalita and Sayali Satghare.
Kalita has also secured a place in the 15-member ODI squad. The team largely retains the same group of players, with Vaishnavi Sharma replacing Sneh Rana.
The 17-member T20I squad includes Niki Prasad, G Kamalini, Anushka Sharma, Prema Rawat, Amanjot Kaur, Renuka Singh Thakur and Arundhati Reddy, along with several players selected for the other two formats.
India-South Africa series schedule
India’s tour will open with the one-off Test in Gqeberha on December 9.
The three-match ODI series will begin in Paarl on December 16, followed by the second match in Cape Town on December 19. The final ODI will be played in Bloemfontein on December 22.
The T20I series will start in Benoni on December 26. The remaining two matches are scheduled for December 29 and 30 in Potchefstroom.
Kalita’s selection in the Test and ODI squads marks a significant achievement for Assam cricket, placing the state cricketer in India’s national women’s team for the upcoming international tour.