Women's T20 World Cup 2026: India's strongest playing 11

India might not be the prime contenders, but they are certainly one of the strongest teams in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026. After winning the ODI World Cup for the first time last year, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. will be buoyant about their chances of lifting a maiden T20 World Cup. While India does have a very balanced squad, picking the best XI players and sticking to it as much as they can could prove to be key for them. The Women in Blue are placed in a tough group and therefore, the margin for error will be very less. Let's take a look at what India's strongest playing XI could look like. Women's T20 World Cup 2026: India's strongest playing XI Top-order: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia Shafali Verma x Smriti Mandhana (Source: Mark Brake/Getty Images) Shafali Verma came in as the injury replacement for Pratika Rawal during the Women's ODI World Cup last year and played a fine hand in the final against the Proteas. She will play the aggressor's role at the top for India, while Smriti Mandhana will look to bat deep. If the openers for India perform well during the campaign, it will increase their chances of going deep in the tournament considerably. Yastika Bhatia was the highest run-scorer during the T20 tour of England, and she did well in India's first warm-up game against the West Indies. The southpaw is expected to bat at the important No. 3 position. Middle-order: Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK) Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur. (Photo source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) Jemimah Rodrigues is going to be one of the key batters for her side because she can play the anchor's role and also change gears swiftly. Her ability to play unorthodox shots will keep opposition bowlers guessing. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur will look to finish off matches for India with her experience and power-hitting. The Indian skipper has scored one half-century since arriving in the United Kingdom last month. However, there have been instances when she has failed to convert her starts into substantial scores. Meanwhile, Richa Ghosh will have an important role to play in this team as she is one of the fiercest hitters of the ball in women's cricket. Her ability to muscle sixes for fun when on song would give India a lot of hopes. All-rounders & Bowlers: Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav/Bharti Fulmali, Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud Deepti Sharma (Photo Source: BCCI Women) Deepti Sharma was the Player of the Tournament when India won the ODI World Cup last year. She is a vital cog for India due to her all-round abilities and years of experience playing ICC events. There is going to be a toss-up between Radha Yadav and Bharti Fulmali for the finisher's role. However, the former might have the edge because of her all-round skills. Radha's left-arm spin could come in handy if the pitch has something in it for the tweakers. Arundhati Reddy is expected to take the new ball, unless India opt to go with the more experienced Renuka Singh. While Renuka can swing the new ball both ways, Reddy can also do a similar job, but what makes her stand out is her ability to nail yorkers at the death. Shree Charani is going to be India's best bet through the middle overs to pick up wickets. The 21-year-old has a good head on her shoulders and doesn't crumble under pressure. She has the ability to get sharp turn and good speeds, making it difficult for the batters who are reluctant to come onto the front foot. Lastly, Kranti Gaud brings a different dimension compared to Reddy and Renuka as she can get seam movement and is quite quick as well. Her accuracy is also commendable, even when the batters are scoring freely. India's strongest playing XI for Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK), Radha Yadav, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud.