Women's T20 World Cup 2026: 5 Indian players to watch

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is starting June 12 in England, as 12 of the best teams in the world are ready to battle it out for the ultimate crown in the shortest format of the game. Team India, packed with an incredible mix of explosive youth and seasoned superstars, will be eager to script history on English soil.

With the conditions expected to test both skill and temperament, the Women in Blue have a few match-winners who can turn the game on its head on any given day.

As India gets ready for their high-stakes campaign, let's take a look at 5 Indian players who could completely dominate and shine at the Women's T20 World Cup 2026.

Kranti Gaud

The 22-year-old Kranti Gaud will have the responsibility of Indian pace bowling on her shoulders. She has been with the Indian team for a year now in international cricket, and has played 11 matches.

In those matches, Kranti has picked up eight wickets with an economy rate of 8.39. The conditions in England will be suitable for her bowling, and will have to give her side a great side with the ball. In the recently concluded series against England, she was great with the ball, picking up four wickets in two matches. 

Deepti Sharma 

Deepti Sharma remains one of the most experienced players currently from the Indian side. She brings in immense all-round presence with her presence and was the Player of the Tournament in India's historic triumph in ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025.

The 28-year-old has played a staggering 144 T20Is for India, picking up 161 wickets, while also scoring 1210 runs. She had a good series against England, and would want to carry on the same form in the marquee event. 

Richa Ghosh

Arguably the most attacking batter of the Indian batting line-up, Richa Ghosh is a powerhouse. The wicket-keeper batter finally found her lost touch against England in India’s second warm-up game of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

After a string of failures, she came back strongly, smashing 68 runs in just 36 balls, and showed why she is so highly rated by the Indian team management. The 22-year-old has played 83 matches, scoring 1253 runs at a strike rate of 144.03. 

Shafali Verma

The 22-year-old Shafali Verma will be India’s designated opener in the marquee event alongside Smriti Mandhana, and will have the responsibility of giving aggressive starts in the powerplay overs. She has played 106 matches for India in the shortest format, smashing 2722 runs at a strike rate of 135.50.

If the wickets are good to bat on in the upcoming World Cup, she can prove to be an asset with the bat. She is also a handy bowler if required, and that adds another dimension to the Indian side. 

Smriti Mandhana

The highest run-scorer for India in T20I cricket ever, Smriti Mandhana will enter the marquee event as one of India’s biggest match winners. The left-hander will have the responsibility of scoring the bulk of the runs.

She had scored 4333 runs with a strike rate of 124.5. In T20 World Cups, she has scored 524 runs in 25 matches for India, and if they want to have a successful run and clinch their first-ever T20 World Cup, Smriti will have to increase the tally significantly.