New Delhi: Young Indian spinner Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out of the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup T20 tournament due to a fractured fourth finger on her left hand. The injury occurred while she was attempting to take a catch during India’s opening match against Pakistan. In light of this, Tanuja Kanwar has been named as her replacement, as confirmed by a statement from the Asian Cricket Council.
The 21-year-old Shreyanka had an impressive performance against Pakistan, taking two wickets for 14 runs in her 3.2 overs, playing a pivotal role in bowling out the opposition for a low total. However, her injury has forced an early exit from the tournament.
Replacing her is 26-year-old left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar, who is yet to make her debut for the national team. Kanwar has shown her skills in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) while playing for Gujarat Giants, where she took 10 wickets in eight matches with an economy rate of 7.13.
Shreyanka has been a promising talent for India, having played 12 T20Is and three ODIs since her debut in December 2023. Earlier this year, she suffered a hairline fracture on the same hand during the WPL, but she still managed to claim 13 wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the highest by any bowler, including a remarkable four-wicket haul in the WPL final.
With the Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for later this October in Bangladesh, Shreyanka will now focus on recovering and regaining her fitness to be ready for the global stage.
