Indian Women's Cricket Team Announced for Asian Games 2026; Newcomer Kamalini Breaks In While Yastika and Prema Miss the Cut
The Indian women's cricket team has been announced for the Asian Games 2026, scheduled to take place in Japan next month. The selectors have retained Harmanpreet Kaur as captain and Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain.
Two changes have been made to the squad that competed in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia has been replaced by G. Kamalini, while Prema Raut has been dropped.
Selectors have reposed their faith in experienced players
Meanwhile, the selectors have reposed their faith in experienced players like Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma. Yastika Bhatia, who was struggling with poor form, has been dropped from the team. She has been replaced by 17-year-old wicketkeeper G. Kamalini, who plays for the Mumbai Indians in the WPL.
Yastika failed to capitalize on the opportunities she received during the World Cup; she scored only 41 runs across three innings in four matches, averaging 13.66 with a strike rate of 117.14.
Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil will lead the spin department
Spin all-rounder Shreyanka Patil has been included in the squad after receiving fitness clearance. She had missed the remainder of the T20 World Cup due to an ankle injury sustained during the match against the Netherlands. Prema Raut, who had replaced her in the World Cup squad, has not been selected this time. Renuka Singh and Arundhati Reddy will spearhead the pace attack, while Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil will lead the spin department.
Indian women's team is expected to gain direct entry into the quarter-finals
The cricket event at the Asian Games will be held in the T20 format. As one of the top-ranked teams according to ICC rankings, the Indian women's team is expected to gain direct entry into the quarter-finals or the knockout stage. As in the past, the Indian team is expected to face its main competition from Asian teams like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The head coach and management are closely monitoring the players' workload and fitness levels.
India's Squad
Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper), G. Kamalini (Wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Sri Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Nandani Sharma.