Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Singh Thakur have been rested for India women's three-match home ODI series against Ireland, the BCCI announced on Monday. Opener Smriti Mandhana will lead the side in the series, beginning on January 10 at Rajkot, in the absence of Harmanpreet. Harmanpreet had suffered a knee injury during the home series against the West Indies last month, forcing her to sit out of the last two T20Is before returning to play three ODIs. Before that, the 35-year-old had sustained a neck injury during the match against Pakistan in the Women's T20 World Cup in Dubai in October last year.
Lead pacer Renuka was the player of the series in the one-dayers against the West Indies after taking 10 wickets from three matches.
In the past, a stress fracture on the back had troubled her, so the move to rest her for the series against Ireland could be to ease her workload.
India's squad: Smriti Mandhana (C), Deepti Sharma (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare.
Schedule (All matches in Rajkot, starts at 11 AM) 1st ODI: January 10 2nd ODI: January 12 3rd ODI: January 15.
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