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The fifteen-member squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup, which is set to take place across England and Wales in the months of June and July, was announced on the 3rd of May. The ODI World Cup winners have set the benchmark very high; a tournament where they made an entire country believe. Walking in as champions of another format surely does give them the confidence, but also the pressure of added expectations from an entire country full of cricket lovers. The squad selection has sparked a few discussions and needless to say certain decisions are being praised while some others are being debated over. Regardless, Indian women walk in with their heads held high and with immense faith in a team that has more than enough firepower.
Three key players to watch out for:
Arundhati Reddy- As a pace-bowling all-rounder, she has immense importance in this format, especially on English soil. The pitches in England could offer some nip. The pacer also generates a fair amount of inswing and employs cutters.
Arundhati can also contribute with the bat lower down the order; something that was noticeable during this season’s WPL. Additionally, she was the standout performer in the series against Australia, where she finished as the joint highest wicket-taker, with a four-wicket haul in one game followed by two wickets each in the next two matches. Her performance won her the ICC Women’s Player of the Month in February of 2026. In the recent series versus South Africa, she was not really among the wickets on a frequent basis but upon closer look, one would observe that she was able to maintain a decent enough economy rate. Additionally, she is also a gun fielder, often throwing her body on the line for the team, which makes her a stand out.
Shreyanka Patil – The young bowler had to stay away from competitive cricket for a long gap of fourteen months because of an injury lay-off but she has announced her arrival in style. She looked in good touch at the Women’s Premier League 2026 and also has a fifer to her name. Additionally, Shreyanka finished the season with 11 wickets. In the three-match rubber against Australia, she picked up three wickets in the series decider while operating at an economy of 5.50. She put up a brilliant show in the recent series against South Africa. Despite the disappointing performance from the Indian side, she was able to consistently pick up wickets – often the only one to do so. Even with the bat, she can chip in with useful runs lower down the order.
Deepti Sharma- The player of the tournament in the ODI World Cup is often known to step up for the team in crunch situations. She is currently the all-time leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 Internationals (160 wickets) and her ability to contribute with the bat and finish games also makes her an integral part. In the recent South African series, she took a 5-wicket haul in the fourth match. Deepti also contributed with the bat, and coincidentally that is the only match that India won.
SPECIAL MENTION
Smriti Mandhana – She recently won the WPL title for the second time as a captain with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In the final, Mandhana cracked a match-defining knock of 87. She also became the highest run-getter of the season and walked away with the orange cap. Additionally, she has some stellar records to her name. With 4293 runs to her name, Mandhana has scored the most runs for India, across genders, in T20Is.
She scored her maiden T20I century in England at the Trent Bridge stadium. Mandhana’s recent series versus South Africa was below par for a player of her calibre but she is a big-match player. As the vice-captain, her inputs on the field would also be beneficial.
NOTE- ALL STATS ARE TAKEN FROM CRICBUZZ AND ESPN CRICINFO
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