India’s women’s cricket team is gearing up for a big continental challenge, and the squad announcement for the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 has cricket fans buzzing already. Harmanpreet Kaur has been named captain of the 15-member squad, with Smriti Mandhana taking on the role of vice-captain.
The tournament kicks off soon in Dubai, and India will be looking to reclaim the Asia Cup title after finishing as runners-up in the last edition back in 2024. That time, India made it all the way to the final in Dambulla but ended up losing to Sri Lanka by eight wickets, so there’s definitely some unfinished business heading into this year’s competition.
Along with Harmanpreet and Mandhana, the squad also includes big names like Shafali Verma, known for her explosive batting style, and Deepti Sharma, who’s been a consistent all-rounder for India over the past few years. Wicketkeeping duties will be shared between Richa Ghosh and Gunalan Kamalini, while bowlers like Renuka Singh Thakur, Radha Yadav, and Kranti Gaud round out a pretty balanced attack.
One disappointing update, though, is that Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the squad due to a high-grade hamstring tear she picked up while playing in The Hundred, a cricket tournament in England. This is obviously a big loss for India, since Jemimah has been a key middle-order batter in recent series, and her absence means the team will need other batters to step up in her place.
Looking at the tournament format, the top two teams from each group will move on to the semi-finals, which are scheduled for September 10 and 11, followed by the final on September 13. India will be placed in a group alongside Pakistan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, China, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE, and debutants Indonesia make up the other group.
Historically, India has been the most dominant team in this tournament, winning the first four editions back when it was played in the ODI format, before later adding three more T20 titles in 2012, 2016, and 2022. With a squad full of experienced players and a few promising talents, fans are hopeful this could be the year India takes back the trophy.
For cricket fans across India, this tournament will be an important tune-up ahead of several other major women’s cricket events lined up later in the year.
(Sources: Olympics.com, NewsX)
