The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India's 15-member women's cricket squad for the 2026 Asian Games, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur continuing to lead the side and Smriti Mandhana retaining the vice-captaincy. The continental event will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September, where India will aim to defend the historic gold medal won at the previous edition.
The selection committee has largely retained the core group from the recent ICC Women's T20 World Cup despite India's disappointing group-stage exit. The move signals the team's faith in its experienced campaigners as it looks to quickly shift focus to another major international tournament.
G Kamalini Picked in Asian Games Squad
One of the biggest talking points is the inclusion of teenage wicketkeeper-batter G. Kamalini, who has earned her maiden Asian Games call-up after impressive domestic performances. She replaces Yastika Bhatia in the squad and will provide an additional wicketkeeping option alongside Richa Ghosh. All-rounder Shreyanka Patil has also been named in the squad, although her participation remains subject to fitness clearance following her recovery from an ankle injury.
India will once again rely on its experienced batting unit featuring Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, while all-rounders Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav add balance to the side. The pace attack will be spearheaded by Renuka Thakur, Arundhati Reddy and Kranti Gaud, with young spinner Sree Charani and emerging all-rounder Nandini Sharma also earning places in the squad.
The Asian Games present an opportunity for the Women in Blue to bounce back after their early exit from the T20 World Cup and reaffirm their dominance in continental cricket. Having won the gold medal in Hangzhou in 2023, India will enter the competition as defending champions and one of the favourites for the title.
2026 Asian Games
The women's cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games is scheduled to be held from September 17 to 22, with eight teams set to compete for continental glory. Defending champions India will be joined by Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and hosts China in the race for the gold medal. India heads into the tournament with confidence after clinching the inaugural women's cricket gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where they defeated Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final.
India Women's Squad for 2026 Asian Games
Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain)
Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain)
Shafali Verma
Jemimah Rodrigues
Deepti Sharma
Richa Ghosh (WK)
G. Kamalini (WK)
Bharti Fulmali
Sree Charani
Renuka Thakur
Kranti Gaud
Arundhati Reddy
Shreyanka Patil* (subject to fitness clearance)
Radha Yadav
Nandini Sharma
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