The Indian Air Force (IAF) has lauded its squadron leader and Indian all-rounder Shikha Pandey after she featured in the country's national cricket squad for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in Australia as well as in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year 2019.


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Taking to its official Twitter handle, the IAF quoted Pandey as saying that playing for India is her passion while donning the IAF uniform is a dream come true. 


"#IAF Achievers: Sqn Ldr Shikha Pandey will be a pt of Indian Women's cricket team in the ICC T-20 World Cup. She also features in ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year 2019. "Playing for my country is a passion realised and donning the IAF uniform is a dream come true", she says," the IAF tweeted. 



Pandey has represented India in all the three formats of the game. She has appeared in a total of 52 ODIs, 40 T20Is and 2 Tests for India, amassing a total of 719 runs across formats. 


The 30-year-old has played a significant role in the Indian women's cricket team's rise at the global stage in the past few years. She was a part of the national squad that took part in the Women’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in 2014 and in India in 2016. Pandey has also played a crucial role in the Indian team's journey to the finals of the Women’s World Cup in England in 2017. 


In 2011, Pandey joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) after successfully completing her training. A year later, she was commissioned as an air traffic controller.


On a related note,  Indian all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the 15-member women's squad in the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup, which is slated to take place from February 21, 2020 to March 8, 2020. 


The Women in Blue, who are placed along with hosts Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Group A, will kick-off their campaign at the ICC T20I World Cup against hosts Australia on February 21 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).