The Indian women’s cricket fraternity is buzzing with excitement as the squad for the England tour is unveiled, featuring promising debuts and strategic comebacks. Set to make history at Lord’s in a groundbreaking one-off Test from July 10 to 13—the first women’s Test ever at the Home of Cricket—Nandini Sharma and N. Sri Charani are the fresh faces injecting new energy into the side.
Nandini, who became the first Indian to claim a hat-trick in WPL for Delhi Capitals with 17 wickets, joins forces with Renuka Singh Thakur and Yastika Bhatia, both returning after stints in recent internationals. Yastika’s inclusion extends to the T20Is and builds momentum for the 2026 T20 World Cup, displacing Uma Chetry.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership, backed by Smriti Mandhana, will guide a balanced unit comprising Shefali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, and others like Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, and Sneh Rana. The left-arm spin switch from Vaishnavi Sharma to Charani adds variety to the bowling.
Complementing the senior tour, India ‘A’ squads are locked in for six matches against England ‘A’ starting June 20. Anuska Sharma helms the T20Is at Northampton and Chelmsford, with Vrinda Dinesh as vice-captain. Harleen Deol takes ODI charge at Hove and Taunton, supported by Pratikar Raval. Standouts in ‘A’ ranks: G Kamalini (wk), Priya Punia, Tejal Hasabnis, Tanisha Singh, and uncapped prospects like Nikki Prasad and Simran Bahadur.
This announcement signals a new chapter for Indian women’s cricket, blending experience with youthful exuberance on one of the world’s grandest stages.
