Smriti Mandhana Leads India Against Ireland: New Era for Women's Cricket

Smriti Mandhana has been named captain of the Indian women's cricket team for the home ODI series against Ireland. Regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Singh Thakur have been rested. The series starts on January 10 in Rajkot. The Indian team is in high spirits post their recent victories over the West Indies.

In a significant move, prolific opener Smriti Mandhana has been designated as the captain of the Indian women's cricket team for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland. This decision comes as regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and key pacer Renuka Singh Thakur are rested, as per the latest announcement from BCCI.

The series is slated to commence on January 10 at Rajkot, with all fixtures hosted at the same venue. The rest for Harmanpreet follows a knee injury sustained during a recent home series against the West Indies, which sidelined her for the concluding T20Is. She previously suffered a neck injury against Pakistan during the Women's T20 World Cup last October.

In contrast, Renuka Singh, who excelled as the player of the series against the West Indies, has been given time to recover from past stress factors affecting her back. Entering the series with momentum, the Indian team celebrates a successful home series win, with Mandhana in top form having scored prolifically in recent matches.

(With inputs from agencies.)