Indian Women Cricket team has started a new chapter with the introduction of two teenage girls who got their first call-up to the national team. The team for the T20I series in Sri Lanka has the combination of seasoned players and two young talents, thereby generating the buzz of the new and also setting up the expectations for the upcoming five-match series at home.
New Faces Join a Powerful Core
Gunalan Kamalini and Vaishnavi Sharma stepped into the national spotlight with their maiden selections. Kamalini impressed in the WPL with sharp keeping and fearless stroke play. Vaishnavi built her rise through domestic consistency and earned trust despite missing WPL auctions. Their arrivals resulted in Radha Yadav and Uma Chhetri being dropped from the squad.
Harmanpreet Kaur is the chief batter of the side and Smriti Mandhana is her deputy. Shafali Verma is back after a stint out due to a World Cup injury and thus makes the top order more formidable with her aggressive style of play. The rest of the line-up comprises of Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur and some other names that you might be already familiar with.
India first two matches are scheduled at Visakhapatnam after which they will play the next three games at Thiruvananthapuram. The series is from December 21 to 30 and is an ideal preparatory game for WPL 2026.
What This Squad Signals for India
India deepens with the addition of two young players full of life and boldness. The coaches can experiment with different players, particularly in the last few overs. This series is also a great opportunity to get match time before a packed 2026 season. Good performances could not only define India’s eventual line-up for big tournaments but also increase rivalry for places in the team.
Author’s Opinion
India should use this window to build confidence, refine balance and prepare stronger plans for their long 2026 calendar.
