India have named their 15 for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England. Harmanpreet Kaur leads for a fifth time. Smriti Mandhana is the vice-captain. Four uncapped or near-uncapped names get their first taste of a senior World Cup. Funexchange has already loaded squad-related markets, including top India batter for the tournament and player of the tournament outright, so we wanted to walk you through who is in, who matters most, and what could go wrong.
The 86,400 active players on Funexchange have made India outright markets one of the most traded books on the platform this week. Below is the full breakdown.
The 15-Player Squad
Read it once. Memorise it.
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav.
Four players are travelling to their first T20 World Cup: Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud. That is a notable bloodletting in a 15-strong squad. The selectors clearly wanted firepower at the death and a deeper spin pool than 2024.
Captain and Vice-Captain
One leads. One sets the tone.
Harmanpreet Kaur takes charge for a fifth global tournament. She has captained India in more T20Is than any other captain in the format, and her win rate sits close to 58%. Smriti Mandhana is the natural deputy after a magnificent 2025-26 season, including a maiden T20I century against England in 2025 and a WPL 2026 trophy with RCB. She also overtook Rohit Sharma as India’s leading T20I run-scorer in the South Africa series earlier this year.
For more on how Harmanpreet manages a tournament, see our piece on India’s recent series.
The Batters
Top heavy and dangerous.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma open. Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur form the middle order spine. Richa Ghosh is the keeper-batter and the finisher. Yastika Bhatia provides backup wicketkeeper cover and middle order depth. Bharti Fulmali is the bolter, a powerful striker from the WPL and domestic T20 scene who could see action against weaker bowling attacks. Mandhana has 4,293 T20I runs across her career, including 33 fifties; her form ahead of the tournament has been close to peak.
The All-Rounders
The most important category in this squad.
Deepti Sharma is the senior all-rounder, contributing left-arm finger spin and a knack for late runs. Shreyanka Patil is the off-spin all-rounder with a strong WPL season behind her. The all-rounder slot is the difference between India winning a global tournament and exiting in the semi-finals. England’s slow surfaces favour spin-bowling all-rounders, which is partly why the squad has gone heavy in this department.
The Spinners
Wickets and economy in one breath.
Radha Yadav offers left-arm orthodox. Shree Charani is the surprise pick, a left-arm spinner who emerged through the WPL and India A pathway. Deepti and Shreyanka double up as both bowlers and finishers. England wickets do not always turn dramatically, but they reward variation and pace changes, and that is where this spin group should earn its keep.
The Pacers
Three speed merchants in the mix.
Renuka Singh leads the swing department. Arundhati Reddy provides hit-the-deck pace. Kranti Gaud is the breakout name, a quick young pacer with a sharp domestic record who could see the new ball at some point. Renuka has been India’s best new-ball bowler over the last 18 months, and in seam-friendly English conditions she could finish as India’s leading wicket-taker for the tournament.
Strengths of the Squad
What this group does well.
- Genuine depth in spin-bowling all-rounders.
- Two world-class openers, both in form.
- A captain with the most T20I matches as skipper in history.
- Multiple finishers including Richa Ghosh and Fulmali.
- Pace options that suit English conditions.
Concerns Before the First Ball
There are three of them, honestly.
One, the middle order is captain-dependent. If Harmanpreet has a quiet tournament, Jemimah and Richa carry a lot. Two, the squad has chosen four newcomers, which is a brave call at a global event. Cohesion will need to come quickly. Three, India still do not have a clear lead death-overs bowler. Renuka and Arundhati can do the job, but neither is a Tahlia McGrath or Sophie Devine type yardstick.
What This Squad Means for India’s Title Chances
The squad reads stronger than the 2024 group that exited in the group stage. With Mandhana at peak form, Harmanpreet in charge for a fifth time, and a deeper bowling card, India sit second favourite behind Australia in most markets. Funexchange has India around the 4.5 to 5.5 mark on outright markets at the time of writing. Read our bonus code page if you want to load up before betting closes on outrights.
FAQ
Who is the captain of India’s squad?
Harmanpreet Kaur, leading the side for a fifth global tournament.
Who is the vice-captain?
Smriti Mandhana.
How many players are uncapped or new?
Four players will play their first T20 World Cup: Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud.
Is there a backup wicketkeeper?
Yes, Yastika Bhatia backs up Richa Ghosh.
Did Smriti Mandhana have a good build-up?
Yes. She became India’s top T20I run-scorer in February 2026 and won the WPL 2026 title with the orange cap.