Top 5 Indian players to watch out for in Women's T20 World Cup 2026
India will open their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Pakistan.
The English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is in readiness to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, starting from June 12. This, tenth edition, is the biggest scale at which the tournament is being hosted.
A total of 33 matches will be played among 12 teams contesting in the tournament. It is for the first time that this many teams will be participating in the Women’s T20 World Cup. Netherlands are all set to make their debut appearance in the tournament.
The champions of the previous edition, New Zealand will look to continue their campaign where they left off in 2024. Meanwhile, England, South Africa, India and the six-time title winners Australia emerge as other favourites in the tournament.
Indian team will look to translate their ODI form from the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in this T20 World Cup, and eye their maiden T20 title. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will be playing her tenth edition of the T20 World Cup and will be leading the Women in Blue.
Smriti Mandana is the vice-captain of India. This tournament marks the maiden appearances of Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
The Harmanpreet Kaur are set to open their campaign against Pakistan on June 14. They are grouped with Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and Netherlands in Group A, and seem favourites to qualify from this pool.
On that note, let’s take a look at the top 5 Indian players to watch out for in Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Indian players to watch out for in Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
5. Kranti Gaud
The right-arm pacer is significant to India’s bowling attack. Her ability to strike early in the powerplay will help get good start. The 22-year-old picked 9 wickets in the Women’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2025 including a three-wicket haul against Pakistan and two wickets against New Zealand and South Africa each.
In her recent outing against England Women, she picked 4 wickets in the two games she played. Gaud’s contributions with the ball in the powerplay will determine India’s chances. Her wicket-taking ability is why she is so highly rated.
4. Bharati Fulmali
While this is Bharati Fulmali’s first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, she has been a key in India’s middle order batting. Her power-hitting abilities and the experience that she displayed in the domestic cricket, makes her significant addition to the squad.
In her recent outing, Bharati scored 56* against West Indies in the warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup. Her 40 against South Africa in April, and 48 against England A, strengthened her contention for the T20 World Cup.
3. Richa Ghosh
The 22-year old wicket-keeper batter has already played 83 T20Is for India, scoring more than 1200 runs at a strike of 144. She is India’s crucial lower-middle order batter, and would be keen to help India strongly finish their games.
She had scored 235 runs in her maiden Women’s CWC 2025, comprising of 23 fours and 12 sixes. Her wicket-keeping has been another significant difference in the team. She has already entered the list of most dismissals in Women’s T20Is, ranked at 9, she has 73 dismissals to her name.
2. Jemimah Rodrigues
India’s Cricket World Cup 2025 star performer, Jemimah Rodrigues will be the key batsman in the middle order for the team. What her batting position has not been decided yet, however, she has played at various positions and has guaranteed wins for the team.
She has batted in 113 T20Is for India, scoring 2732 runs to go with 16 half-centuries. Jemimah’s unbeaten 127 in the World Cup 2025 semi-final against Australia, chasing a mammoth total of 339, has made her even more pivotal in the team.
1. Smriti Mandhana
The second-highest run-getter in the history of Women’s T20Is — Smriti Mandhana. She has amassed 4333 in 166 T20Is with a strike of 124. She has the most half centuries in the history of the format (33), and one century.
In the recent Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, Mandhana scored 377 runs with a strike rate above 150, averaging 53. Her recent outings for India in the T20Is have been rather underwhelming, however, she will be key to India’s campaign in this tournament. She has played six T20 World Cups and is among the most experienced players in the side.
When is India’s first match in the Women’s T20 World Cup?
India will clash with Pakistan on June 14 for their tournament opener.
Who is leading the Indian side in the Women’s T20 World Cup?
Harmanpreet Kaur is leading the Women in Blue in her tenth edition.
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.