BCCI named India’s 15-member women’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya
Harmanpreet Kaur continuing as captain and Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain.
The core group from the recent T20 World Cup remains intact, with only one key change in the wicketkeeping setup and Shreyanka Patil included subject to fitness clearance
India enter the tournament as defending champions, aiming to rebound after a disappointing T20 World Cup group-stage exit
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on June 30 announced the Indian women’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games, naming Harmanpreet Kaur as captain of the 15-member side.
Harmanpreet Kaur has been retained as captain, with Smriti Mandhana continuing as vice-captain, despite India’s disappointing exit at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage after defeats to South Africa and Australia.
The decision signals that the management is backing experience and stability rather than opting for sweeping changes ahead of a major multi-sport event where India are the defending champions.
The squad largely mirrors the World Cup group, with Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma, Renuka Singh, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy and Sree Charani all retained. The only change sees wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia left out, with G. Kamalini brought in as the second wicketkeeping option.
There is also a key fitness-dependent inclusion in Shreyanka Patil, who was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a serious ankle ligament injury against the Netherlands.
She has been picked in the squad, but her participation will depend on clearance from the BCCI medical team, keeping her availability uncertain heading into the tournament.
India’s core batting unit remains unchanged, built around Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, while the bowling group will once again lean heavily on Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Sree Charani and Nandni Sharma.
The BCCI had already announced the men’s squad for the Asian Games earlier, with Shreyas Iyer named captain of the 15-member side.
It comes at a testing moment for Indian cricket, after a rare same-day setback in the shortest format. The women’s side, despite posting a strong 170/4 powered by a Harmanpreet Kaur half-century, suffered a heavy defeat as Australia pulled off the highest successful chase in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
On the same day, India’s men went down by one run to Ireland in a dramatic finish in Belfast. It marked only the third instance of both senior Indian teams losing T20Is on the same day, adding an unusual statistical footnote to an already difficult run.
India will still travel as defending champions in the women’s event after their gold medal win in Hangzhou 2023, carrying both expectation and pressure into Japan.
India Women's Full Squad For Asian Games 2026
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*, Radha Yadav, Nandni Sharma.
