Despite India’s earlier-than-expected exit from the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England, Harmanpreet Kaur was kept on Tuesday as captain of a mostly predictable 15-member selection for this year’s Asian Games in Japan.
From September 19 to October 4, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan will host the Asian Games. After losing to Australia in the group stage, the Indian team’s World Cup campaign came to an end on Sunday.
After winning the gold medal in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in 2023, the Indian women’s team will go into the competition as the reigning champions. The T20 format is used for both men’s and women’s cricket competitions at the Asian Games.
Harmanpreet’s deputy will be Smriti Mandhana. Harmanpreet, 37, who led India to victory in the women’s ODI World Cup last year, is under fire for the lackluster performance in England. The only player removed from the World Cup team is wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, who has been replaced by G Kamalini.
All-rounder Shreyanka Patil, who was sidelined during the World Cup due to an ankle ailment, has been added to the squad; however, her availability would depend on fitness clearance.
Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh will back Harmanpreet in the batting lineup, while Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Shree Charani, Arundhati Reddy, and Nandni Sharma will be primarily responsible for bowling.
The Indians did not live up to expectations during an unpredictable World Cup campaign. They registered convincing wins over Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands, but losses to South Africa and Australia put end to their ambitions.
As the top-ranked Asian team in the competition, the squad has qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics despite losing in the group stage.
India squad for the 2026 Asian Games: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), G Kamalini (wicket-keeper), Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Nandni Sharma
