Radha Yadav, Yastika Bhatia return in India's strong 15-member squad for Women's T20 World Cup

Yastika Bhatia and Radha Yadav have returned as India named a strong 15-member squad for the Women's T20 World Cup and the T20I series against England. Kashvee Gautam and Amanjot Kaur missed out due to injuries. Nandini Sharma earned her maiden India call-up after her impressive showing for DC in WPL 2026.

In Short

• Yastika Bhatia made her comeback after recovering from a knee injury
• Nandini Sharma has earned her maiden India call-up
• India's Women's T20 World Cup campaign starts on June 14

Radha Yadav and Yastika Bhatia returned as India named strong squads for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the preceding tour of England. The squad was finalised after a selection committee meeting on Saturday, attended by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, head coach Amol Muzumdar, chairman of selectors Amita Sharma, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.

Yastika had missed last year’s Women’s ODI World Cup and the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) after sustaining a serious left knee injury in September 2025. She later underwent successful surgery, reported to be an ACL reconstruction, to address the issue.

Radha, meanwhile, is set to make her T20I comeback after nearly a year, having last featured in the format during the tour of England last year in July. Earlier this year, she also led India A to the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup title in Bangkok.

NANDINI SHARMA REWARDED

Fast bowler Nandini Sharma has earned her maiden India call-up after Kashvee Gautam and Amanjot Kaur missed out due to injuries. Earlier this year, the right-arm pacer made history by becoming the first Delhi Capitals (DC) bowler to claim a hat-trick in the WPL.

The 24-year-old achieved the feat against Gujarat Giants at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, finishing with impressive figures of 4-0-33-5. She enjoyed a standout season overall, picking up 17 wickets from 10 matches at an economy rate of 8.31.

They have retained Bharti Fulmali in the squad after she made her return to the Indian side during the South Africa series. Fulmali scored 42 runs from three matches with a strike-rate of 123.52. Fulmali had recently marked her India comeback after seven years and impressed in the fifth T20I against the Proteas in Benoni.

ANUSHKA RETAINED AFTER SOUTH AFRICA TOUR

Anushka Sharma was also retained in the squad following her impressive performances on the tour of South Africa. She impressed with her fluent strokeplay while opening the batting in the absence of Smriti Mandhana, who missed a few games on the tour.

Kashvee missed the World Cup due to a right knee injury, Amita Sharma said during the press conference. Amanjot, meanwhile, was ruled out of the South Africa tour due to injury and is expected to remain sidelined for the next four to five months, Harmanpreet Kaur added.

HEARTBREAKS FOR KAMALINI, VAISHNAVI

Among the exclusions, the U19 duo of G Kamalini and Vaishnavi Sharma did not make the squad. Both players, who made their debuts in the series against Sri Lanka, impressed with their rapid rise from junior to senior cricket. They also featured for the Mumbai Indians in WPL 2026.

Vaishnavi was part of the T20I squad for the series against Australia but did not get a chance to play. India, meanwhile, boast a strong spin attack featuring Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Shree Charani, and Shreyanka Patil, along with part-time options in Shafali Verma and captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

TEST CALL-UPS FOR NANDINI, FULMALI

Nandini and Fulmali also earned their maiden Test call-ups for the Lord's Test against England. Harleen Deol couldn't make the squad for the T20 World Cup, but she was picked for the Test match. Amita Sharma said that Fulamli was picked ahead of Harleen due to her being a more effective option. But Sharma also mentioned that Harleen remains in the scheme of things and hence was picked for the red-ball match.

India’s T20I series against England begins on May 28, followed by the one-off Test at Lord’s from July 10. The Women’s T20 World Cup gets underway on June 12, with India opening their campaign against Pakistan on June 14 in Birmingham. They are placed in a group alongside the Netherlands, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Australia.

India's squads for Women's T20 World Cup and England T20Is

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandni Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Goud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav

India's squad for Lord's Test against England

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pratika Rawal, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandini Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Raha

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