Indian women’s team gears up for T20I series against Sri Lanka

Fresh from their historic ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 triumph, the Indian women’s team has shifted focus to the shortest format as preparations begin for a five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka Women, starting Sunday in Visakhapatnam.

The squad assembled at the BCCI Centre of Excellence before travelling to Vizag, with the core group from the World Cup-winning ODI side retained for the T20Is. The players underwent a high-intensity training session on Friday as they fine-tuned plans for the series opener.

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Pacer Renuka Thakur makes her return to the T20I setup after missing the previous series against England through injury. She comes back on the back of a strong World Cup campaign. The squad also features a new face in 19-year-old spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who has earned her maiden T20I call-up.

Vaishnavi was the standout bowler at the ICC Under-19 Women’s Cricket World Cup earlier this year, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps as India clinched their second successive title. The youngster marked her call-up with a birthday celebration following Friday’s practice session.

The series will be Harmanpreet Kaur and her team’s first assignment since lifting the ODI World Cup trophy in Navi Mumbai last month and serves as the beginning of India’s build-up to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to start from June 1, 2026 in England and Wales.

India last featured in T20Is during their tour of England in July, where they edged the series 3–2. They also enjoy a commanding head-to-head record against Sri Lanka, having won 20 of the 26 matches played between the sides. Sri Lanka’s last T20I victory in India dates back to 2014, which incidentally also came in Visakhapatnam, the venue for the first two matches of the upcoming series.

The series will also mark the Indian women’s first outing since their memorable World Cup final win over South Africa at the Dr D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, as they look to carry their winning momentum into a new chapter of their T20 journey.

Indian Women’s T20I Squad vs Sri Lanka: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur, Richa Ghosh (WK), G Kamalini (WK), Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma