Harmanpreet Kaur named captain for Sri Lanka series as Smriti Mandhana is deputy

Dubai: Harmanpreet Kaur has been appointed captain of the Indian women’s cricket team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at home, with Smriti Mandhana named as her deputy.

The series is scheduled from December 21 to 30, with the first two matches in Visakhapatnam and the remaining three in Thiruvananthapuram.

Gunalan Kamalini and Vaishnavi Sharma have earned their maiden call-ups. Kamalini, a 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, has played nine matches for the Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League, while Vaishnavi, 19, joins the 15-member squad despite not being picked in the WPL auctions. They replace Radha Yadav and Uma Chhetri, both of whom were part of India’s ODI World Cup — winning squad last month.

Aside from the two newcomers, the squad features all the regular names, with Harmanpreet leading the side and Mandhana serving as vice-captain. Big-hitting opener Shafali Verma, who replaced Pratika Rawal ahead of the World Cup semi-final against Australia after Rawal was ruled out with an injury, also retains her place.

The five-match series will take place just before the WPL 2026 season begins on January 9 in Navi Mumbai. Its schedule was announced shortly after the white-ball series between India and Bangladesh — originally planned for December in India — was postponed last month.

India and Sri Lanka last faced each other in a T20I during the World Cup in October 2024.

India’s squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur, Richa Ghosh (WK), G Kamalini (WK), Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma.