India Opts for Fresh Wicketkeeper, Keeps Core Squad Unchanged for Asian Games

India have removed Yastika Bhatia from its roster and elevated G Kamalini to the backup wicket‑keeper role for the Women’s Cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan. This marks the only significant change to the team that departed the Women’s T20 World Cup after the group stage.

Off‑spin all‑rounder Shreyanka Patil is still in the squad, awaiting a fitness review. Patil missed the World Cup after sustaining an ankle ligament injury against the Netherlands. The leg‑spinner Prema Rawat, who stepped in for Patil and played a single match in the World Cup, has been omitted from the Asian Games lineup.

Bhatia played four matches in the World Cup, scoring 41 runs in three innings at an average of 13.66 and a strike rate of 117.14. Her position fluctuated between numbers three and five in a middle‑order mix where India struggled to define a clear role for her or Jemimah Rodrigues. In the final group match against Australia, Bhatia was dropped below number six and did not get to bat.

The 17‑year‑old Kamalini first rose to prominence during her initial two seasons with the Mumbai Indians in the WPL, and has appeared in one T20I to date during the home series against Sri Lanka in December 2025. She opened the batting in that match, scoring 12 at a run‑per‑ball pace. Across her 15‑match T20 career, Kamalini has opened in five innings and batted at numbers seven and eight in six others, accumulating 119 runs at an average of 14.87.

India Squad for 2026 Asian Games

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (v‑capt), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), G Kamalini (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness clearance), Radha Yadav, Nandani Sharma.

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