Kamalini replaces Bhatia in India's Asian Games cricket squad

1 major change separates India's 2026 Asian Games women's cricket squad from the group that exited the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Seventeen-year-old G Kamalini has replaced Yastika Bhatia as the reserve wicketkeeper, while off-spin all-rounder Shreyanka Patil has been included subject to fitness clearance following her ankle injury.

The selection follows India's disappointing group-stage exit at the Women's T20 World Cup, where batting combinations repeatedly shifted without producing consistent results. The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya now become India's first opportunity to respond before another major global assignment.

Kamalini's selection is the headline decision. The teenager has impressed since emerging with Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League and made her India debut during the home T20I series against Sri Lanka in December 2025.

Her international experience remains limited. She has played one T20I, opening the batting and scoring 12 from 12 balls. Across 15 recognised T20 matches, she has scored 119 runs at an average of 14.87, operating either as an opener or in the lower middle order.

By contrast, Bhatia struggled to cement a role during the recent World Cup. She featured in four matches, scoring 41 runs in three innings at an average of 13.66 and a strike rate of 117.14. India's management used her at Nos. 3, 5 and eventually below No. 6, underlining the uncertainty surrounding the middle order.

Patil's inclusion comes with an important condition. The off-spin all-rounder must first receive medical clearance after suffering an ankle ligament injury during India's Women's T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands.

That injury ruled her out of the remainder of the tournament, prompting India to draft in leg-spinner Prema Rawat. Rawat featured in one World Cup match but has not retained her place in the Asian Games squad.

A quick comparison illustrates the changes:

1. 1.In: G Kamalini replaces Yastika Bhatia as backup wicketkeeper.
2. 2.Conditional: Shreyanka Patil returns if declared fit.
   3.Out: Prema Rawat misses selection after replacing Patil at the World Cup.

The selectors have otherwise retained the core group despite India's early World Cup elimination, signalling confidence in the experienced players who helped deliver previous ICC campaigns.

What happens next

India enter the tournament as defending champions after winning the 2023 Asian Games women's cricket gold medal by defeating Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final.

Their 2026 campaign will feature competition from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and China. While the squad remains largely unchanged, the selection of Kamalini reflects a willingness to invest in youth following a disappointing World Cup.

Whether that decision also signals a longer-term transition behind first-choice wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh will become clearer in Japan. Another number now takes centre stage: how many opportunities will the 17-year-old Kamalini receive to establish herself before India's next global tournament?

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