India have picked uncapped quick Nandani Sharma in their 15-strong squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
How Nandani Sharma earned her maiden India call-up for 2026 T20 World Cup
BCCI announced the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the preceding England series on Saturday (May 2), and Nandani Sharma’s inclusion was probably the only surprise. She has earned the selection on the back of a superb Women’s Premier League 2026 campaign, while Amanjot Kaur’s injury also made her case stronger.
Sharma was signed by the Delhi Capitals for INR 20 lakh ahead of the WPL 2026 season, and she repaid the faith by picking up 17 wickets at 18.58 in 10 matches to finish as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the campaign along with Sophie Devine. She also picked up a hat-trick in only her second WPL appearance to become the first Indian seamer to do so.
All-rounder Amanjot Kaur missed out on the squad due to an injury that would keep her out of action for the next four to five months. Kashvee Gautam, who made her T20I debut in South Africa recently and is a like-for-like replacement for Kaur, is also set for a spell on the sidelines, clearing the road for Nandani to seal a spot.
India expect three players to make up for Amanjot Kaur's absence at T20 World Cup
Explaining how the management decided to replace Kaur and Gautam in the squad, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and chief selector Amita Sharma explained that they expect Radha Yadav, Bharti Fulmali and Nandani to fill in for them over the course of the tournament.
“It is very difficult to find someone like Amanjot, who can fill in for her, but we tried,” Harmanpreet said during the press conference. “Bharti has impressed in whatever opportunities she has got. We have also got Radha back in the side because she's an all-rounder and can contribute with the bat, ball, and in the field. We tried to balance the team with the available options so that whenever we need somebody, they are ready for it.”
“We had replaced Amanjot with Kashvee for the South Africa series but she picked up an injury as well,” Sharma chimed in. “So now we have gone with Nandani in her stead. It is obviously not easy to replace Amanjot because she strengthens all three departments and is an experienced player.”
Nandani’s last competitive appearance came in February 2026 for India A in the Rising Stars Asia Cup. However, she picked up an injury during the first game and likely did not make the squads for South Africa tour as a result.
India squad for 2026 Women's T20 World Cup
Batters: Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Bharti Fulmali.
Wicketkeepers: Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia
All-rounders: Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Nandani Sharma, Radha Yadav.
Bowlers: Renuka Singh, N Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil.
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