India have moved quickly to look ahead after a disappointing T20 World Cup exit. The BCCI announced the women’s squad for the Asian Games 2026 on Tuesday. Harmanpreet Kaur retained as India Women’s Captain for Asian Games 2026 and Smriti Mandhana continuing as her deputy. India head into the tournament as defending champions, looking to defend the gold medal they won at the previous edition in Hangzhou.
Continuity After a Difficult World Cup
This squad announcement comes just days after India’s early exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they failed to reach the semi-finals despite a talented core group. Rather than make sweeping changes, the selection committee has shown faith in almost the exact same group that featured at the World Cup, signalling confidence in the squad’s long-term direction under Harmanpreet’s leadership.
Only one change has been made to the group that played at the World Cup. Wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini comes into the squad in place of Yastika Bhatia, giving India an additional glovewoman option alongside regular keeper Richa Ghosh.
The Full Squad for Japan
India’s 15-member squad for the Asian Games combines proven experience with emerging depth. Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues will lead the batting effort alongside Harmanpreet and vice-captain Mandhana, while Deepti Sharma anchors the middle order as the side’s premier all-rounder.
India Women’s Squad for Asian Games 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), G. Kamalini (wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Nandini Sharma, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness clearance).
The Shreyanka Patil Fitness Question
One name in the squad carries a genuine fitness doubt. All-rounder Shreyanka Patil has been included despite suffering a severe right ankle ligament injury during India’s group match against the Netherlands at the World Cup. She picked up the injury attempting to stop a ball on the final delivery of the powerplay and was ruled out of the rest of the tournament as a result.
Her inclusion is explicitly subject to fitness clearance, meaning the BCCI medical team will need to assess her recovery closely in the months between now and September before confirming her final involvement in the squad.
What the Asian Games 2026 Tournament Looks Like
The cricket competition at the Asian Games 2026 will be played in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with the women’s tournament scheduled across late September and early October. Eight teams will compete for medals in T20I format, with India joining Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and host nation Japan among the confirmed participants.
Cricket has now been retained for a fourth Asian Games appearance, having previously featured in 2010, 2014, and 2022 before returning for 2026. This edition also carries added significance as a key buildup event for teams preparing for cricket’s historic return at the LA 2028 Olympics, where India’s women’s team has already secured direct qualification through their performance at this very World Cup.
Defending Champions With a Point to Prove
India enter this tournament as the defending gold medallists, having beaten Sri Lanka in the final of the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. That title remains one of the proudest moments in Indian women’s cricket history, and Harmanpreet’s side will be eager to defend it after a World Cup campaign that ended earlier than hoped.
For more context on how India’s qualification picture has developed across multiple major tournaments this year, our recent coverage of the qualifying sides for Women’s T20 World Cup 2028 explains exactly how India’s Asian standing has been shaped by results at this year’s World Cup, the very tournament that now feeds directly into both Olympic and continental qualification pathways.
Conclusion
Harmanpreet Kaur’s continued leadership reflects the BCCI’s belief that this squad’s recent World Cup disappointment was a setback rather than a sign of deeper problems. With Smriti Mandhana once again as her deputy and only one change to the core group, India head to Japan in September aiming to defend their Asian Games title and show the cricketing world that this team’s best moments are still ahead of them.