Former India captain Anjum Chopra has questioned the decision to appoint Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma as vice-captains for the women’s T20I and ODI teams, respectively, calling the split “baffling” and raising concerns over the lack of official communication regarding players omitted from the T20I squad.
Smriti Mandhana will begin her tenure as India’s full-time captain in the upcoming series against Zimbabwe, featuring three T20Is and three ODIs from October 16 to 28. The T20Is will be played in Raipur and the ODIs in Vadodara, marking the first bilateral women’s series between the two countries.
Speaking to IANS, Chopra said appointing Deepti as ODI vice-captain while assigning the T20I role to Shafali raised questions about the all-rounder’s place in India’s plans for the shortest format.
“It’s baffling, simply because are you trying to give an indication to Deepti Sharma that she can be replaced or doesn’t fit in the T20I team? She is one of the top all-rounders in world cricket,” Chopra said.
She acknowledged that Shafali could be entrusted with the responsibility but said Deepti’s consistent performances across formats made her exclusion from the T20I vice-captaincy surprising. Chopra also suggested that the Zimbabwe series could provide an opportunity to assess Shafali in the leadership role.
Rejecting the suggestion that Jemimah Rodrigues’ absence during her recovery from a hamstring tear sustained in The Hundred had influenced the decision, Chopra said recognition of players should not depend on who is available.
She pointed out that Deepti has frequently been relied upon to deliver with both bat and ball during difficult situations and said overlooking her in leadership discussions could leave the experienced all-rounder feeling undervalued.
Chopra also questioned the lack of clarity surrounding several omissions from the T20I squad, particularly Shreyanka Patil, who was part of India’s Asian Games gold medal-winning team.
India have handed maiden senior T20I call-ups to Niki Prasad and Jintimani Kalita, while Minnu Mani and Anushka Sharma have returned to the squad. Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka, Renuka Singh Thakur and Radha Yadav have been left out.
Welcoming the opportunities given to the four incoming players, Chopra said their performances in the India A multi-format series against Australia A had helped strengthen their cases for selection. However, she stressed that the selectors should explain the reasons behind significant omissions.
“Unless she’s carrying an injury, it’s puzzling, especially since she was in the Asian Games squad and played in that final and was around the group. If she’s injured, that’s one thing, but if not, why isn’t she included? The lack of official communication on why these players were left out is the real issue,” she said, referring to Shreyanka.
Chopra also expressed concern over Radha’s limited opportunities, suggesting that the selectors appeared to be looking towards Sree Charani as a preferred option for the future. She said the new entrants would need opportunities to play rather than merely being included in the squad.
In the ODI squad, Vaishnavi Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis, Sayali Satghare and Yastika Bhatia have returned, while Nandni Sharma has received her maiden call-up.
Chopra said Nandni had impressed with her bowling alongside Kranti Gaud in T20Is but noted that India’s pace-bowling options remained an area to watch. Renuka’s omission from the T20I squad, she said, raised questions about whether the team was moving on from the experienced pacer or managing her match fitness.
With the three ODIs carrying significance for the ICC Women’s Championship, Chopra said the series would also help India assess their core group ahead of the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy scheduled to be held in India in February 2027.
India, she added, would need to establish a consistent playing template that could be applied against stronger opponents such as South Africa, New Zealand and England, rather than tailoring their approach only to individual opponents.
Chopra did not expect Zimbabwe to pose a major challenge, given the difference in rankings between the teams. Zimbabwe recently lost their T20I series against the West Indies 3-0 but won one of the three ODIs, securing a 2-1 series defeat.
She said Zimbabwe’s recent exposure to international cricket against New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies would benefit the team’s development, while India’s priority should be to prepare individual players and establish a clear approach in both white-ball formats.
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