Under-19 World Cup-winning pacer Shabnam Shakil has received her first call-up to the India senior team. She has been named as a late addition to the national squads for the ongoing multi-format series against South Africa.
Shakil, 17, joins the team likely as a cover or to manage the workload of India’s frontline pacers. In the first ODI of the three-match series in Bengaluru, Pooja Vastrakar and Renuka Thakur took on new-ball duties. However, Vastrakar, who had a shoulder niggle, was a doubtful starter and underwent rehab at the NCA in Bengaluru.
In the second ODI, with Thakur resting, Arundhati Reddy received her maiden ODI cap. Thakur was seen undergoing a fitness test supervised by the team’s S&C coach Anand Date. For the one-off Test in Chennai, the squad includes a fourth pace-bowling option in Meghna Singh, who will be replaced by pace-bowling allrounder Amanjot Kaur for the T20I series.
Shakil was in Bengaluru for a pacers-specific camp before the selection for the India squads. She also played in the Board President’s XI against South Africa, although the match was cut short due to rain.
Shakil made her mark in the 2024 WPL season, debuting late but picking up four wickets in four games with an economy rate of 7. Her addition to the senior team is seen as a promising step for India’s pace attack, providing depth and managing the physical demands of a busy series.