Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 23: India pacer Pooja Vastrakar will miss the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 semifinal match against Australia, due to an upper respiratory tract infection.
Vastrakar played in each of India’s games during the group stage and thus far in the competition, he has taken two wickets with a bowling average of 44.5.
Meanwhile, the Event Technical Committee of the tournament has approved Sneh Rana as a replacement for Vastrakar in the Indian squad to join the main squad in South Africa. Rana, who is a spin bowling all-rounder, has played 47 international matches including 24 T20Is.
Vastrakar, one of three Indian cricketers who were brought to a nearby hospital in Cape Town on the day of the semi-final along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, won’t be able to compete in the competition, and the participation of the other two cricketers is still up in the air.
The Harmanpreet-led team won over Pakistan, the West Indies, and Ireland, with Ireland being their lone loss. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana will serve as captain if Harmanpreet is unable to participate. The absence of Radha Yadav from the game against Ireland raised additional injury questions.
