Harmanpreet Kaur named captain of India's Asian Games cricket squad

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced India's women's cricket squad for the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday, June 30, with Harmanpreet Kaur retained as captain to lead the team's defense of its gold medal. The 15-member squad will compete in the T20 International tournament scheduled from September 17 to 22 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the side, with Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain. The selection committee has largely kept faith in the core group that represented India at the recent ICC Women's T20 World Cup, which concluded on June 28. The only change sees wicketkeeper-batter G. Kamalini included in place of Yastika Bhatia.

The squad features a strong batting lineup with Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Mandhana, while the all-round capabilities of Deepti Sharma anchor the middle order. The pace attack will be led by Renuka Singh Thakur and Arundhati Reddy. The spin department includes left-arm orthodox bowler Radha Yadav and off-spinner Shreyanka Patil, though Patil's final inclusion remains subject to fitness clearance following an ankle injury that ruled her out of the T20 World Cup. Richa Ghosh is the primary...