Snehasis Mukherjee in Colombo
Team India had an optional practice session a day before their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 match against Pakistan at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Practice was supposed to begin at 2 PM IST, but rain played spoilsport. Since morning, dark clouds hovered over Colombo, and light drizzles continued throughout. Just 20-30 minutes before the session, the drizzle turned into a heavy shower, putting the team’s final outdoor session before the marquee match in doubt.
At the ground, there were only two reporters — myself and my colleague Trisha Ghosal — along with the host broadcasters waiting for an update. Around 2:40 PM IST, the rain stopped, and we made our way toward the nets, hoping the team would resume their session. However, after inspecting the conditions, the support staff decided to shift the practice indoors to the nearby Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC).
It is a short walk from the Colombo Cricket Club, and after 15 minutes, we reached the indoor facility. To our surprise, only two players had turned up — Uma Chetry and Arundhati Reddy. Both were seen putting in some solid effort in their respective roles, with the support staff monitoring closely.
For More Exciting Articles: Follow RevSportz
The optional session might suggest that Arundhati could miss out on a spot in the XI against Pakistan. Uma, being a reserve wicketkeeper, is unlikely to make the cut anyway.
Considering yesterday’s full squad practice and today’s limited attendance, a few questions still hang in the air. Will India stick with their winning combination from the Sri Lanka game, even though Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana haven’t trained in Sri Lanka yet?
Or will they choose to rest Amanjot and bring in Radha Yadav to strengthen the spin attack, pairing her with Deepti Sharma, Sneh, and N Shree Charani? The other question is about Renuka Singh Thakur. If she isn’t fully match-ready, will it be worth risking her ahead of the bigger games in the tournament?
These doubts will finally clear tomorrow when the Women in Blue take the field against Pakistan, aiming to make it two wins out of two in the tournament.
Also Read: Renuka under watch as India hit Colombo nets without Amanjot and Sneh Rana