India have unveiled a refreshed and forward-looking squad for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with key returns and a notable new face grabbing attention.
Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia and all-rounder Radha Yadav make their return to the national setup, while uncapped pace sensation Nandini Sharma has been handed a maiden call-up following her standout performances in the WPL.
The squad was announced at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, chief selector Amita Sharma, and secretary Devajit Saikia addressing the media.
The 15-member squad will also feature in a three-match T20I series against England from May 28 to June 2, serving as crucial preparation ahead of the global tournament.
Radha returns on the back of consistent performances, including a strong showing in India’s T20I series win in England last year. Yastika, meanwhile, is back after recovering from knee surgery that had ruled her out of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.
All eyes, however, are on Nandini Sharma, one of the breakout stars of WPL 2026 and the first Indian bowler to claim a hat-trick in the competition. Her inclusion adds firepower to a relatively inexperienced pace unit, currently hit by injuries to seam-bowling all-rounders Amanjot Kaur and Kashvee Gautam.
India are the first team from Group 1 to announce their squad for the tournament, which begins on June 12. They are placed alongside heavyweights including Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.
Harmanpreet & Co will kick off their campaign with a high-voltage clash against Pakistan on June 14 in Birmingham, followed by fixtures against the Netherlands, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Australia.
With India still chasing their first Women’s T20 World Cup title—having finished runners-up in 2020, the 2026 edition presents another golden opportunity. Coming off their 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup triumph at home, the team will look to carry that momentum and finally break the T20 global title jinx.
India squad:
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nandini Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.