India announce Womens World Cup squad featuring fresh faces

Harmanpreet Kaur will once again lead India in the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, marking her fifth appearance as captain in the tournament. Despite coming close on several occasions in the past, India have repeatedly fallen short of the title, and this time the team will aim to break that pattern.

A strong batting unit will be led by Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh. The quartet is expected to play a key role in building India’s innings, combining experience with aggressive stroke play.

In the bowling department, Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh will carry major responsibilities. The duo is expected to lead India’s wicket-taking plans and provide control during crucial phases of the game.

Notably, four players in the squad will be making their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup debut. Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani, and Kranti Gaud will gain their first experience on the global stage, marking an important step in their careers.

As part of their preparation for the tournament, the same squad will feature in a three-match T20I series against England, which will serve as India’s final major assignment before the World Cup.

India will begin their campaign on 14 June against Pakistan. They are placed in Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and South Africa. After a disappointing group-stage exit in the 2024 edition, India will be aiming for a stronger and more consistent performance this time.

India squad

Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.