Harmanpreet Kaur to captain India as BCCI announces Asian Games squad

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the 15-member women’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in September 2026. Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the T20I squad, while star batsman Smriti Mandhana will be her deputy as India defends its continental quadrenni.

India 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 Sharma, Raddy, S.*

Shreyanka Patil was added subject to fitness. The all-rounder has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup by a sprained ankle.

The announcement comes a day after the Indian women’s cricket team qualified for the Los Angeles Olympics. The BCCI selection committee seems to be backing 35-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur despite India’s early exit from the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup in England.

The Indian women’s team crashed out of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 after defeats to South Africa and Australia in the group stage. Questions have been raised over Harmanpreet Kaur’s future as captain and whether she will continue to lead the side after a disappointing campaign.

The early exit came as a surprise to many considering India won their maiden ODI World Cup title only last year when they played at home. However, luck was not so kind in the last tournament, with tactical and on-field mistakes piling up and eventually sending India to the group stage.

The Asian Games are scheduled to begin on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The tournament will end on October 4.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

30 Jun 2026 09:42 IST