Punjab Newsline,Sports:
BCCI names white-ball squads; Harmanpreet Kaur to lead in ODIs and T20Is
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian women’s white-ball squads for the upcoming tour of Australia. The multi-format tour will feature three T20 Internationals, three One-Day Internationals, and a one-off Test match. The biggest highlight of the squad announcement is the return of spinner Shreyanka Patil to the T20I team after a long injury layoff.
The Australia tour will begin on February 15, 2026, and conclude on March 9. Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the Indian team in both the T20I and ODI formats, while Smriti Mandhana has been named vice-captain. The squad for the lone Test match will be announced by the BCCI at a later date.
The T20I series will kick off on February 15 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The second T20I will be played on February 19 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, while the third and final match of the series is scheduled for February 21 at the Adelaide Oval. Following the T20Is, the ODI series will begin on February 24 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. The second and third ODIs will be held at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on February 27 and March 1, respectively. The tour will conclude with the prestigious one-off Test match, to be played from March 6 to March 9 at the Perth Stadium.
The T20I series against Australia is being seen as a crucial part of India’s preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is scheduled to be held in June. Keeping this in mind, the T20I squad features a balanced mix of experienced campaigners and promising young players. The batting line-up includes explosive opener Shafali Verma and reliable middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues.
Shreyanka Patil, who last represented India during the 2024 T20 World Cup, makes her comeback after being sidelined for nearly 14 months due to injuries to her shin, wrist, and thumb. Her return is expected to strengthen India’s spin department. Richa Ghosh and G Kamalini have been named as wicketkeeping options for both the T20I and ODI squads.
The Indian women’s team will be aiming to put up a strong performance against a formidable Australian side, using this challenging tour to fine-tune their combinations and build momentum ahead of the upcoming World Cup.