Cricket News, Kashvee Gautam,, Cricket Updates
India have announced their squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, with exciting inclusions for Kashvee Gautam and Anushka Sharma, both of whom are on the brink of their T20I debuts.
Seam-bowling allrounder Gautam, who has already represented India women’s national cricket team in one Test and six ODIs, is yet to feature in the T20I format. Her recent performances in the longer formats during the Australia tour have strengthened her case for inclusion in the shortest format.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder Anushka Sharma has received her maiden senior national call-up after an impressive domestic season. She stood out for Gujarat Giants in the 2025 Women’s Premier League, scoring 177 runs, with a significant portion coming through boundaries. Her rise continued with a selection for the India A squad in the Rising Stars Asia Cup, and she now looks set to make her international debut.
The selectors have also included Uma Chetry as a backup wicketkeeper to first-choice glovewoman Richa Ghosh. Chetry replaces youngster G Kamalini, who has not featured in international cricket since her debut series against Sri Lanka last December.
Among the notable omissions are left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma and allrounder Amanjot Kaur, both of whom were part of recent squads but failed to make a strong impact.
India’s pace attack will be led by Gautam alongside Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, and Kranti Gaud. The spin department features experienced allrounder Deepti Sharma, along with Sree Charani and Shreyanka Patil.
The squad will be led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, with Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain. The batting lineup also includes key players such as Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues.
The T20I series will begin on April 17 in Durban, which will host the first two matches, before moving to Johannesburg for the third and fourth games. The final match of the series will be played in Benoni on April 27.
India Squad for T20Is vs South Africa:
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Shreyanka Patil, Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Uma Chetry (wicketkeeper), Anushka Sharma.
With fresh faces and a balanced squad, India will look to make a strong statement in South Africa as preparations continue for upcoming global tournaments.
