Rewarded for T20 World Cup heroics, Shree Charani gets first Test cap at Lord’s

From batting dominance in the shortest format to receiving her maiden Test cap at the Home of Cricket, Shree Charani’s remarkable rise has reached another milestone on a historic day in women’s cricket.

ENG vs IND, Women Only Test Day 1: Update | Scorecard

The left-arm spinner made her Test debut when India took on England in the first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s. In a memorable moment before the start of the game, Charani received the cap from vice-captain Smriti Mandhan, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her international career.

Lord’s, which has hosted men’s Tests since 1884, hosted a women’s Test for the first time, 50 years after welcoming its first women’s international.

SHREE CHARANI REWARDED

Charani earned her place in the side after a record-breaking campaign in the Women’s World T20, proving to be India’s standout bowler. The spinner finished the tournament with 14 wickets from five matches, the most by an Indian in a single edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup, which also moved her to the top spot in the T20I rankings among female bowlers.

The 21-year-old eclipsed Poonam Yadav’s previous record of 10 wickets, set during India’s run to the final in 2020. Charani finished second on the all-time list for most wickets in a single Women’s World T20 behind New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr, who took 15 wickets in the 2024 edition.

India also welcomed Yastik Bhatia back to the Test side after more than two and a half years. The wicketkeeper missed the Chennai Test against South Africa in 2024 and the Perth Test against Australia earlier this year.

Meanwhile, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. The hosts handed over the first Test caps to Mady Villiers and Alice Capsey.

Playing XI for England vs. India Lord’s Test

India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud

England Women (Playing XI): Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt(c), Alice Capsey, Amy Jones(w), Mady Villiers, Sophie Ecclestone, Issy Wong, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

10 Jul 2026 15:34 IST