Why is Radha Yadav Not Playing Today in IND W vs SL W 1st T20I?

The Indian women's team are all set to take on Sri Lanka women's team in a 5-match T20I series, commencing on December 21. After a successful ODI World Cup campaign, the Women in Blue are ready to showcase some quality cricket in the T20I set-up. The first game is played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam, one of smallest cricket stadiums in India.

Fans have shown great support towards the women's team recently and have also visited the stadium to back the home team. India's playing XI looks solid as the management decided to go with three pacers for this game. But, the fans were curious to know the reason behind the absence of Radha Yadav, who was a part of the World Cup winning team.

Why is Radha Yadav Not Playing Today in IND W vs SL W 1st T20I Match?

India's star all-rounder Radha Yadav was excluded from the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka as she is not a part of the squad. The management hasn't opened up on the reason behind omitting the World Cup winner yet. But her exclusion from the squad was quite evident as India looks to try more options ahead of the Women's World Cup next year.

India brought in Vaishnavi Sharma as Radha Yadav replacement for this game. The youngster could be a key player for India in the upcoming Women's World Cup. Radha was in fine form during the World Cup, producing some solid spells under pressure. She wasn't a part of the Playing 11 initially but was brought back in the last few matches. She also played the all-important final, where India defeated South Africa to be crowned the world champions.

India Go With Three Pacers In 1st T20I

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who is one of the best women cricketers in the world, at the toss mentioned that the team has three pacers in the IND-W vs SL-W 1st T20I. She revealed that they are expecting a lot of dew during the game and that is one of the reasons behind picking up three pacers.

“We want to bowl. Dew will be factor here and secondly, we are playing with 3 pacers. So, let's see how they are going to use these conditions,” said Harmanpreet Kaur at the toss.

Moreover, Vaishnavi Sharma, a talented young spinner made her debut in the first match. After getting ignored in the WPL 2026 auction, Vaishnavi got her maiden call up from the Indian team. The 20-year-old cricketer played for India U19 team and her performance was quite impressive that caught the selectors' eyes.

She was quite emotional when neither of the franchises picked her up but that sadness turned into happiness when she got the call for the T20I series. Vaishnavi will play as a spinner and since India are bowling first, the dew factor should not matter much in the first half of the game. India are playing their first series after the World Cup and will hope to have a memorable outing.