From Alana King to Nancy Patel: Stars of Indian origin to shine in Women’s T20 World Cup

India will once again be among the teams to watch at the Women’s World T20 2026, which will be held from June 12 to July 5. After winning the ODI World Cup on home soil last year, Harmanpreet Kaur’s team enters the tournament with high expectations.

The team boasts of proven match-winners like Harmanpreet, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh, while the team recently started their World Cup preparations with a convincing warm-up win over the West Indies.

However, India is not the only team that has Indian connections going into the tournament. Several players of Indian origin representing other nations are expected to make a significant impact on cricket’s biggest T20 stage.

As the tournament takes place in England and Wales, these stars of Indian origin could play a key role for their respective teams, adding another interesting undertone to the competition and highlighting the growing influence of the Indian diaspora in women’s cricket.

Here are the Indian-origin stars to watch out for in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026

Alana King (Australia)

Alana King is expected to play a key role for Australia. Courtesy: Reuters

Alana King’s rise to the top of world cricket is also a story of heritage and identity. Born in Melbourne, King is the daughter of Sharon and Leroy King, Anglo-Indians with roots in Chennai. Her father moved to Australia in the 1980s, and King often spoke of the strong influence her Indian heritage had on her life and cricketing journey.

She has visited India on several occasions to meet family and has described playing in the country as a special experience as her family has connections to Chennai.

Since making her international debut in 2022, King has established herself as one of Australia’s leading spinners. Known for her control, sharp turn and wicket-taking, the leg-spinner played a key role in Australia’s triumphant 2022 Women’s World Cup ODI campaign and has since become a regular in all three formats.

She took 132 wickets, including four five-wicket hauls, in six Tests, 53 ODIs and 30 T20Is. King is also a more than capable batsman, as she showed with an unbeaten 51 against Pakistan in the Women’s ODI World Cup last year.

During the 2024-25 Women’s Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Alana King produced a sensational delivery to dismiss Sophia Dunkley that drew widespread comparisons to Shane Warne’s famous ‘Ball of the Century’ with Mike Gatting in 1993. The comparison was particularly apt given that Warne had long been King’s cricketing idol.

King is expected to be one of Australia’s trump cards in the Women’s T20 World Cup. England’s conditions increasingly rewarded quality spin and her ability to deceive the batsmen with flight, variation and spin could prove invaluable.

Nancy Patel (New Zealand)

Nancy Patel made her international debut earlier this year. Courtesy: Reuters

Nancy Patel’s rise to international cricket is a tale that spans two countries. Patel was born in the village of Karamdi in the Bharuch district of Gujarat and moved to New Zealand with her family when she was just six years old. Cricket was already a part of her life in India, playing with friends in her village, but her journey really took off after arriving in New Zealand.

Her father Hitesh Patel played a key role in nurturing her talent, often taking her to practice sessions and spending hours with her at the nets. Patel has often spoken of the sacrifices her family has made and the pride they take in her accomplishments.

Earlier this year, Patel created history by becoming the first Indian-born cricketer to represent the New Zealand women’s team during the T20I series against Zimbabwe. Patel herself described it as a proud moment not only for her parents watching from the stands, but also for relatives in India.

Patel was the leading wicket-taker in New Zealand’s premier domestic one-day competition in 2021-22, earning her a national contract. Since joining the White Ferns, Patel has played seven ODIs and six T20Is, taking 14 wickets.

In the Women’s T20 World Cup, Patel could play an important role in New Zealand’s title defence. For a player who began her journey in a small village in Gujarat before making history in New Zealand, a strong World Cup campaign would be another remarkable chapter in an already inspiring story.

Priyanaz Chatterji (Scotland)

Priyanaz Chatterji to play for Scotland in Women’s T20 World Cup. Courtesy: Priyanaz Chatterji Instagram

Priyanaz Chatterji’s cricketing journey is a unique blend of Scottish upbringing and Indian heritage. Born in Dundee to Indian Bengali economist Monojit Chatterji, she is one of the most prominent cricketers of Indian origin to represent Scotland.

Although she grew up in Scotland and spent part of her youth in Australia, her Native American roots remained an important part of her identity. Chatterji started playing cricket at the age of six with Forfarshire Cricket Club and quickly progressed through the Scottish age group before breaking into the senior national side as a teenager.

A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium bowler, Chatterji has become one of Scotland’s most experienced all-rounders. During her career she represented Surrey, Wellington Blaze, Central Districts and South East Stars and gained valuable experience in some of the strongest domestic competitions in the world.

Her versatility made her a key member of the Scotland side, while her performances during the Women’s T20 World Cup qualifiers helped Scotland secure qualification for the 2026 tournament. She scored 119 runs at an average of 59.50 and also took six wickets during the qualifying campaign.

In the Women’s T20 World Cup, Chatterji’s experience could prove invaluable for Scotland. Her ability to contribute with both bat and ball gives captain Kathryn Bryce another option in pressure situations.

Having played domestic cricket in England, Australia and New Zealand, she also knows the different conditions. If Chatterji can replicate her qualifying form on the global stage, she could play a key role in helping Scotland challenge the established nations and potentially spring a few surprises during the tournament.

Sanya Khurana (Netherlands)

Sanya Khurana to play for Netherlands in Women’s T20 World Cup. Courtesy: Worcestershire X

Sanya Khurana is among the emerging faces of Dutch women’s cricket and is a prominent example of the growing influence of the Indian diaspora in the game. Originally from India, Khurana grew up in the Netherlands in a family with strong cricketing roots. Her father and brother were heavily involved in the sport and played a major role in shaping her cricketing journey.

Before turning to cricket full-time, Khurana was also a talented tennis player, with the athleticism she gained from the sport helping her develop as a cricketer.

The 21-year-old batsman has been steadily progressing through the Dutch system and was part of the Dutch side that secured historic qualification for the 2026 Women’s World T20 Cup, the country’s first appearance in the tournament. Alongside his cricket career, Khurana is studying BSc Business Management in Marketing at Cardiff University in Wales, balancing academics with elite sport.

A right-handed batsman who can also contribute at medium pace, Khurana has built a reputation as a reliable top-order player. One of her best performances in recent times came during the World Cup qualifiers where she made an unbeaten 43 against Bangladesh. In 25 T20Is, Khurana scored 177 runs at an average of 17.70 and a strike rate of 100.

The Women’s T20 World Cup offers Khurana the biggest stage of her career. For the Indian-rooted player representing the Netherlands, a strong tournament could not only help her team compete with the sport’s elite, but also further highlight the increasingly global footprint of women’s cricket.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

09 Jun 2026 21:19 IST