There’s a college of thought in cricket that making a comeback to the massive stage is maybe much more troublesome than making a debut. If anybody understands that properly, it will be Sneh Rana. The offspinner, who has been so typically out and in of the Indian workforce, returned to don the nationwide colors within the One Day Worldwide format for the primary time since December 2023 on Sunday in Colombo, and did so with a formidable efficiency as she picked up 3/31 in opposition to Sri Lanka within the opening match of the Tri-series on Sunday.
Her spell, together with a well-rounded bowling effort, helped Harmanpreet Kaur and Co to limit Sri Lanka to 147 all out in a rain-hit, 39-overs-a-side match. The run-chase felt like a formality from the phrase go, as Pratika Rawal continued her dream begin to life as a world cricketer, scoring an unbeaten 50 as India coasted previous the end line with 9 wickets and 56 balls to spare.
Spin It Like Sneh 🌀
The Indian all-rounder spun an online round Sri Lanka’s batters, grabbing 3 essential wickets to maintain India firmly on prime within the tri-series opener 🔥
Tune in now to look at the chase on FanCode 📱#SLvIND #TriSeries #ODISeries | @SnehRana15 @BCCIWomen @RCBTweets… pic.twitter.com/6ZB1oA282O
— FanCode (@FanCode) April 27, 2025
At first of this 12 months, you possibly can have forgiven Rana if she was considering the place does she go from right here in her profession. After being launched by Gujarat Giants final 12 months, she went unsold on the mini public sale for the Girls’s Premier League’s 2025 season. However as destiny would have it, she was signed up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a substitute for Shreyanka Patil, the latter’s damage opening the door. “Mujhe aisa lagta hai ki mere ko shayad comeback queen ka tag mila hua hai (I really feel like I’ve been bestowed the tag of a comeback queen),” Rana had quipped with a smile on the finish of RCB’s marketing campaign, one which ended with a player-of-the-match efficiency for her in opposition to the eventual champions Mumbai Indians.
Having gained the toss and opted to bowl, Harmanpreet had a plethora of spin choices at her disposal on a pitch that appeared gradual and low from the beginning. India handed out two debuts, to Kashvee Gautam and Sree Charani. It was Rana and Charani (2/26) who did the majority of the harm, as India picked up common wickets. The floodgates opened early by way of one other cricketer on a comeback path as Arundhati Reddy dismissed Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu cheaply.
Whereas Charani maintained a gradual line and size, Rana was extra adventurous together with her method, various the tempo fantastically and extracting sharp flip steadily. The wickets of Hasini Perera and Kavisha Dilhari had been particularly essential for India as they had been the one two batters who had any fluency within the center. Rana accounted for the previous whereas Charani dismissed the latter for her first worldwide wicket. India’s fielding was commendable too with Jemimah Rodrigues setting the tone proper from the beginning.
Chasing 148, Smriti Mandhana was off to a flier and dominated the opening partnership with Rawal. As soon as the senior professional was dismissed, Rawal started to make her transfer at the same time as Harleen Deol took her time to get going. There was by no means any scoreboard stress, so Deol’s painstakingly gradual begin wasn’t expensive. Rawal finally scored her half century to take her tally to 5 50+ scores in simply seven ODIs up to now (together with a century), her common at the moment studying a formidable 82.33.
India tackle South Africa subsequent on Tuesday on the similar venue.
Transient scores: Sri Lanka 147 all out in 38.1/39 overs (Hasini Perera 30, Sneh Rana 3/31) misplaced to India 149/1 in 29.4 overs (Pratika Rawal 50*, Harleen Deol 48*, Inoka Ranaweera 1/32) by 9 wickets.
