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

All-rounders & Bowlers: Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav/Bharti Fulmali, Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud

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.