Pooja Vastrakar, Harmanpreet Kaur Likely to miss Semifinal Clash Against Australia

India’s T20 World Cup chances suffer as Harmanpreet Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar are ruled out of the semi-final against Australia. The match is scheduled to take place in Cape Town later today, and India is already starting as the underdogs.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out of the crucial match due to an upper respiratory tract infection.

Harmanpreet Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar likely to miss WC Semifinal

The ICC Event Technical Committee has approved Sneh Rana as her replacement. Rana was part of India’s reserves for the T20 World Cup and has featured in 47 international matches, including 24 T20Is.

Fitness in Doubt

There are also concerns about the availability of the Indian captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, who could be unavailable for the semi-final due to injury.

The ICC is yet to provide an update on her fitness, and it remains to be seen whether she will recover in time to lead the side against Australia. If Kaur is ruled out, it will be a massive blow to India’s chances of winning the match.

India is already dealing with fitness concerns regarding left-arm spinner Radha Yadav. If Kaur is unable to play, then Smriti Mandhana is expected to lead the side.

In case both Kaur and Yadav are ruled out, India would be forced to change their bowling combinations, which could impact their chances of winning the match.

Impact on India’s Playing XI

Pooja Vastrakar has only taken two wickets so far in the tournament, but she is a crucial prospect with the new ball alongside Renuka Singh. If she is not available, then India would have to look for other options.

Devika Vaidya is expected to replace Vastrakar, but if they want to strengthen their batting, they could bring in Yastika Bhatia. Harmanpreet Kaur hasn’t had the best of tournaments so far, scoring only 66 runs in four matches. If she is ruled out, Harleen Deol is expected to take her place.

The absence of Harmanpreet Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar could be a major setback for India in their semi-final match against Australia.

Their fitness concerns have created a problem for India’s team management, and they will have to come up with a plan to overcome these challenges.

However, with their never-say-die attitude and the leadership of Smriti Mandhana, India will still fancy their chances of causing an upset against the five-time champions.

India vs Australia: A Rivalry Continues

India’s T20 World Cup campaign started with a loss against England, but they bounced back with three consecutive wins to finish second in their group.

Meanwhile, Australia won all their four group matches, making them strong favourites for today’s match. This is not the first time the two sides have met in the T20 World Cup. In the 2020 edition, India and Australia faced off in the final, with the hosts winning by 85 runs.