India are gearing up with a lot of expectation for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England after their ODI World Cup triumph last year. Fans would love to see the team script another memorable campaign and lift their maiden T20 World Cup title as well.
Amid a few crucial injury setbacks, the best possible available 15-member squad has been announced. India are placed in Group 1 alongside Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. Hence, even qualifying for the semi-finals will be a challenge from the ‘Group of Death’. India failed to qualify in the last edition in 2024 and therefore, good quality overall cricket will be necessary for the Women in Blue to stamp their authority on English soil.
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 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.
Strength
The biggest strength of this side is the settled batting unit. At least the top five look fixed — Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma as openers, followed by Jemimah Rodrigues at number three, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur at four, and Richa Ghosh at five. Whether it is setting up or chasing down a big total, these batters need to click consistently.
Still, considering the recent South Africa series, there are concerns. Shafali and Harmanpreet scored runs, but the rest struggled for consistency. Hence, the three-match series against England will be a crucial opportunity for the batting unit to regain rhythm and confidence ahead of the World Cup.
Weakness
In England, seamers are expected to play a huge role, especially with the help of swing and early movement. However, the absence of options like Amanjot Kaur and Kashvee Gautam has left India’s pace attack slightly inexperienced. Renuka Singh Thakur will have to lead the unit with her experience, but her fitness and workload management remain important factors.
Arundhati Reddy can also play a major role, but the other pace options — Kranti Gaud and Nandni Sharma — eyes will be on them. Kranti was excellent during India’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2025 but has struggled a bit since then. It seems opposition batters have started understanding her strengths, and the lack of a consistent Plan B remains a concern.
Nandni, meanwhile, will be entering her first international assignment, and that too a World Cup, which itself brings pressure. However, she impressed in the WPL earlier this year with DC Women and will look to carry that confidence forward.
Fielding Woes
Fielding has been a recurring issue for this team for a long time. Since the last T20 World Cup, there have been very few matches where India have looked sharp in the field, whether in catching or ground fielding across formats. The catching efficiency, in particular, has been disappointing. The recent South Africa series highlighted this again as India dropped crucial chances and failed to capitalise on key moments in matches.
Opportunity
This World Cup presents a massive opportunity for players like Radha Yadav, Yastika Bhatia, and Bharti Fulmali. Radha has made a comeback after a long gap, playing her last game for India in the ODI World Cup final last year and would love to make the most of this opportunity. Yastika, returning from a lengthy injury layoff, will also look to grab any chances that come her way.
The same applies to Bharti, although looking at the possible combinations, it may be difficult for her to break into the playing XI regularly. For Kranti and Nandni as well, this tournament could become a huge platform to establish themselves in the senior set-up going forward.
Threat
The biggest threat remains the team’s recent inconsistency in T20Is. India started the year with a 2-1 series win over Australia in Australia, but after the recent 4-1 defeat to South Africa, they have now lost five out of eight T20Is this year.
Another threat could be the lack of variety in the bowling unit, especially in the spin department, due to the absence of a leg-spinner. India are going with four spinners — two off-spinners and two left-arm orthodox options. Hence, having a leg-spinner could have given captain Harmanpreet Kaur more flexibility and more bowling options against different oppositions.
Possible Playing XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Nandni Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, N Shree Charani
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