Ireland

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Ireland captain Gaby Lewis believes her team "have the skill to get a win or two" in the three-game one-day series against India that starts in Rajkot on Friday.

The Ireland women have never beaten India in 12 previous ODIs but the hosts go into the first bilateral series between the sides minus skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and fast bowler Renuka Singh, who took 10 wickets in the recent 3-0 ODI series win against West Indies.

Smriti Mandhana will captain the hosts, whose bowling options include the relatively inexperienced pair Titas Sadhu and Saima Thakor.

"We've loved our time here so far," said Ireland captain Lewis before the three games which will be one of the final series scheduled as part of the 2022-25 ICC Women's Championship.

"We're just looking forward to the game and hopefully we can get a win on the board."

Lewis says Ireland can be competitive after earning white-ball wins over Sri Lanka and England last summer then going on to record a 3-0 T20 series win in Bangladesh - although that came after losing the ODIs by the same margin as the hosts dominated.

"We've got some great young players coming through," added the Ireland captain.

"We've seen in the last 12 months that we can take on the top nations. We had a great summer, beating Sri Lanka and England. The only way is up for us as a team."

Ireland will be without injured wicketkeeper-batter Amy Hunter, who has been replaced by Joanna Loughran.

The remaining matches in the series take place on Sunday and Wednesday in Rajkot.

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Gaby Lewis has been confirmed as Ireland women's permanent captain, replacing Laura Delany.

Lewis, 23, recently deputised for Ireland's record cap holder Delany during the recent series against Sri Lanka and England.

Opener Lewis has amassed 155 caps for Ireland since making her international debut as a 13-year-old in 2014.

Lewis - Ireland's highest run-scorer - said she was "delighted" to take up the role on a permanent basis ahead of Ireland's tours to Bangladesh and India in November and January.

"I thoroughly enjoyed acting in the role during the summer and am genuinely excited about the young talent coming through the system," said Lewis, who called outgoing skipper Delany an "inspiration".

"While we are a young squad, the results in recent years have shown that we can compete with the best."

Ireland head coach Ed Joyce said Lewis' appointment has come after continuing to improve year-on-year as a "cricketer and leader".

"Her analysis and reading of the game are excellent and her captaincy in Laura’s absence for much of this summer was outstanding," said Joyce.

"She is ready to take on the role of captain and I’m excited to see where she can take the team in the next few years."

It was also confirmed that all-rounder Orla Prendergast will serve as vice-captain.