Promising batter Anushka Sharma has earned her maiden call-up to the Indian women’s cricket team for the five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting in Durban on April 17.
Wicketkeeper Uma Chetry returns to the setup, while 22-year-old fast bowler Kashvee Gautam is also included and could be in line for her WT20I debut.
Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the team, which was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old Anushka impressed in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), scoring 177 runs in seven matches for Gujarat Giants at an average of 25.28 and a strike rate of 129.19. She was the highest-scoring Indian batter for her team in the tournament.
Chetry, meanwhile, was not part of the squad for the recent T20I series against Australia, which India won 2-1.
Pacer Arundhati Reddy, India’s pick of the bowlers against Australia with eight wickets from three matches, has also been named in the squad.
India, who beat South Africa in the final to win the Women’s ODI World Cup last year, have made a few notable omissions from the 16-member WT20I squad that toured Australia.
Vaishnavi Sharma, Sneh Rana, G Kamalini and Amanjot Kaur have been left out, while Harleen Deol also misses out after featuring in the home series against Sri Lanka in December.
India’s South Africa tour will see the first two matches played in Durban, followed by two games in Johannesburg, with the final fixture on April 27 scheduled in Benoni.
India enter the series as the world No. 3 in ICC T20I cricket rankings while hosts South Africa are fifth.
The two sides last met in WT20Is in 2024, sharing a three-match series played in Chennai 1-1 after one match was abandoned.
Overall, India hold the edge in head-to-head encounters, winning 10 of the 19 matches played between the two teams. South Africa have six wins, while three matches ended without a result.
India and South Africa are in the same group for Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in England and Wales in June-July.
India women’s squad for 2026 T20 series vs South Africa
Indian women’s cricket team: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Shreyanka Patil, Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Uma Chetry, Anushka Sharma.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/south-africa-vs-india-women-t20-2026-cricket-team-squad
