India have announced their squad for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressing confidence in the team's potential to win the tournament.

The event will commence on June 12 in England and Wales, where India will seek their first ICC trophy in the T20 format, following their triumph in last year's 50-over Cricket World Cup.

India's campaign begins on June 14 against Pakistan, with the team drawn in Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and South Africa.

“I will definitely rate this team as favourites and the team we picked today, they have the calibre to become champions. No pressure, no overconfidence. T20 cricket is only about playing good cricket,” Harmanpreet Kaur said.

The squad selection faced challenges due to the absence of all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who has been sidelined for several months. To bolster all-round options, the selectors have recalled spinner Radha Yadav, who performed well with the India A side recently.

On Amanjot's absence, Kaur stated: “Amanjot is our key player, she is not available. She has been away from cricket for 4-5 months now. It was difficult to find someone like her, but we are trying. She got opportunities. We have got Radha back in the side, she is also an all-rounder. It was hard to find Amanjot’s replacement. We are trying to balance the team.”

Harleen Deol was omitted from the T20 International squad as the team opted for a more aggressive middle-order approach with Bharti Fulmali.

“Fulmali is a better option in the middle order. Harleen is there in the scheme of things, she is in the Test team. But for T20Is, Fulmali is a better option,” Kaur explained.

Despite a recent series defeat in South Africa, the captain emphasised the importance of execution, especially during critical phases of the match.

“I feel that in T20s, powerplay is very important. If you are batting, you have to target runs. If you are bowling, you have to get a couple of wickets in that phase. We want to work very hard for the powerplay and also for the middle overs, as that also plays a big role. We have a plan and the learning which we got from South Africa,” she said.

Kaur also highlighted the value of consistency in selection, backing players such as Jemimah Rodrigues, who played a key role in India’s World Cup success last year.

“Changing too many things doesn’t suit us. Whenever Jemimah has had the chance, she has proved the decision. With time, she will settle it. Whatever the team needs, I’m ready for that. We are going to try a lot of things in the camp, to see what we will do in the World Cup. I’m always ready to fill any spot for the team,” Kaur added.