NEW DELHI: India have experimented in a big way by making some bold calls when announcing their 15-member squad for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England, with Yesthika Bhatia’s return and Pratika Rawal’s omission emerging as the biggest talking points from Saturday’s selection meeting at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, aiming to win India’s maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title, will enter the tournament starting June 14 with a squad that balances established stars with emerging talent. Smriti Mandhana has been named vice-captain, while regular names like Shafali Verma, Jemima Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh have retained their places.Notable inclusions include Bharti Philmali and young pacer Nandini Sharma, both of whom have impressed during recent occasions. Left-arm spinner Shri Charani has also made a place, underscoring India’s focus on spin options for English conditions. Radha Yadav, whose absence was considered a possibility before the announcement, retained his place after a strong domestic performance and his previous success in England.However, the biggest surprise was Pratika Rawal’s omission from the T20 World Cup squad, despite being among the players tipped to travel to England. Instead, he has been included in the Indian squad for the one-off Test at Lord’s. Harleen Deol is also only included in the Test squad, suggesting the selectors are looking at both players as longer format options for now.Yesthika Bhatia’s return is another major development as the wicketkeeper-batsman recovers from ACL surgery suffered during last year’s ODI World Cup preparation camp. His inclusion shows that the team management is confident about his fitness ahead of the world tournament.Meanwhile, Kushvi Gautam and Amanjot Kaur were unavailable for selection due to injuries, affecting India’s pace bowling depth. The selectors have also announced separate squads for England’s T20I series and the one-off Test at Lord’s, with the England tour expected to play an important role in India’s World Cup preparations.
India Women’s Squad for 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup and T20I Series against England
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shifali Verma, Jemima Rodrigues, Bharti Filmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Shri Charani, Yesthika Bhatia, Nandini Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil.
Indian women’s team for the one-off Test against England at Lord’s
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shifali Verma, Jemima Rodrigues, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket), Shri Charani, Yesthika Bhatia (wicket), Nandini Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Saile Satnare.
