Snehasis Mukherjee in Colombo
Team India hit the nets for the first time in Colombo as they geared up for the Pakistan clash on October 5, 2025, in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The evening started with light fielding drills under lights. Soon after, players moved to the nets one by one. It was the bowlers who took charge first. Renuka Singh Thakur, Radha Yadav, N Shree Charani, and Arundhati Reddy trained under bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi. All eyes were on Renuka, who had missed the first game against Sri Lanka.
She began with gentle warm-ups before marking her run-up. Soon she bowled to Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal in rotation. But Renuka looked rusty. Her pace wasn’t up, and she struggled for rhythm. Mandhana was quick to punish her on the back foot, pulling and flicking with ease. Renuka later had a long chat with the bowling coach.
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The team management seems keen to get her fit for the Pakistan match. But with just a day to go, her readiness is still in doubt. The big question is whether India should risk her in the XI or hold her back for tougher games later in the tournament.
Two names were notably missing in the nets – Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana. Both were key in India’s win over Sri Lanka with bat and ball. Having played under extreme heat in Guwahati, their absence suggested they might be rested on Sunday. Radha Yadav and Arundhati Reddy could come in as their replacements. Radha bowled long spells, while Arundhati also looked sharp.
For the batters, it was business as usual. Mandhana, Rawal, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh, and Jemimah Rodrigues all had their stints. Uma Chetry was also in action. Mandhana looked determined to bounce back after her rare failure in Guwahati. She had an extended chat with head coach Amol Muzumdar, setting clear plans for the Pakistan game.
There was even a light-hearted moment. Before the main nets began, right-arm bowlers tried bowling left-handed, while left-armers bowled with their right hand. The group had a laugh, showing a relaxed yet confident Indian camp heading into Sunday’s high-voltage clash.
