India’s women’s team has unveiled a 15-member squad for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, with a couple of notable twists in the selection. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain who steered India to their maiden World Cup triumph last year, will lead the side again, while Smriti Mandhana has been named her deputy. The squad was announced by Harmanpreet herself alongside BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and selection committee chair Amita Sharma.
Squad shape and roles
Shafali Verma is expected to take the opening role alongside Mandhana when the tournament kicks off. In the middle phase of the innings, India are likely to rely on Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma to drive momentum and stabilize the chase or the set. Radha Yadav has also made a return to the group after a strong Women’s Premier League run with RCB, even though she missed the prior series against Australia and South Africa.
For bowling, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Nandini Sharma and Kranti Gaud form India’s pace options. The spin department will be anchored by Deepti Sharma, Sree Charani and Shreyanka Patil, giving the captain variety across powerplay, middle overs and the death. During the South Africa tour, Kashvee Gautam was included, but the announcement confirmed she is out due to injury, alongside Amanjot Kaur who was also unavailable because of a fitness issue.
Amita Sharma explained the situation around Kashvee in detail, saying the right knee problem is serious and that an operation is required. Harmanpreet, when asked the same question, pointed to the medical team as being better placed to assess the severity and timeline of recovery.
At a glance: India’s World Cup group and schedule
- India will compete in Group 1 alongside Australia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Pakistan and South Africa.
- India’s opening match is on June 14 against Pakistan.
- India’s marquee clash against Australia is on June 28.
In Group 1, India will face a full spread of opponents before the knockout picture takes shape, starting with Pakistan on June 14. The high-profile meeting with Australia is slated for June 28, with the tournament’s early weeks expected to set the tone for India’s campaign.
India may have lifted the 50-over Women’s World Cup last year, but their recent T20 form has left room for improvement. Most recently, the side suffered a setback against South Africa, going down in a five-match series by 1-4. In that run, Harmanpreet was the standout performer, while Mandhana struggled to find rhythm as well, prompting a decision to rest the vice-captain for the final two T20 matches.
Amita Sharma also addressed what India are trying to fix ahead of the World Cup. She said they were unable to take wickets consistently in South Africa, and that the team has moved to strengthen its bowling unit. The selection, she added, reflects the need to target early breakthroughs, with India bringing two bowlers into the squad.
Beyond the World Cup squad, India will have another window to fine-tune their approach through international cricket. They are scheduled to play a three-match Women’s T20I series against England from May 28 to June 2, providing match practice and selection clarity ahead of the marquee event.
Alongside the T20 World Cup squad, India’s group for a one-off Test against England was also announced. The Test is set to be played at Lord’s Cricket Ground, giving the team a different format challenge immediately after the lead-up T20 block.
Complete India squads
Women’s T20 World Cup (15): Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shreyanka Patil, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Arundhati Reddy, Nandini Sharma, Bharti Fulmali, Renuka Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaud and Sree Charani.
One-off Test vs England: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandini Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Sneh Rana.
