Anushka Sharma, Minnu Mani to captain India A in home series vs England A
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Anushka Sharma has been named captain of India A for the T20 and one-day legs of the upcoming all-format home series against England A, while Minnu Mani will lead the side in the multi-day fixture, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. The series marks a quick-turnaround rematch after the two sides met earlier this year.
Leadership and Squad Structure
Minnu Mani will also serve as Anushka Sharma's deputy in both white-ball formats, while Tejal Hasabnis has been appointed vice-captain for the multi-day match. The squads were finalised by the BCCI women's selection committee.
Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil and pacer Saima Thakor are the only players to feature across all three squads, underlining their importance to the India A setup. All-rounders Kashvee Gautam (ODI and T20 squads) and Amanjot Kaur (T20s only), along with young wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini, have also earned selection.
Comeback Trails and Fitness Updates
Amanjot Kaur's inclusion in the T20 squad is particularly significant — she has also been named in the senior India squad for the T20I series against South Africa in December, and this series is expected to give her valuable game time ahead of that assignment. Kashvee Gautam, meanwhile, recently made her comeback through the Senior Women's T20 Trophy after recovering from a right knee injury, and her selection signals she is back to full fitness.
Venues and Schedule
The series spans all three formats: three T20s, three one-day matches, and a multi-day game. The T20s will be held at Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium from 30 November to 5 December. The venue then shifts to Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium for the one-day matches and the multi-day contest, running from 8 to 19 December.
New Faces in the Squads
The T20 squad includes batters Tanisha Singh and Sanika Chalke, all-rounder Prema Rawat, and pacer Monica Patel as fresh additions. The one-day squad brings in wicketkeeper-batter Shipra Giri and left-arm spinner Amisha Bahukandi. The multi-day side has seen the most significant overhaul, with Amisha, Shipra, batters Shubha Satheesh and Purvaja Verlekar, and pacers Henreitta Perera and Happy Kumari all coming in as new faces.
Series Context: Settling Scores from June-July
When India A toured England in June-July 2026, the two sides split the white-ball honours evenly. India A won the unofficial one-day series 2-1, while England A claimed the T20 series by the same margin. This home series offers both teams an immediate opportunity to settle the score. Notably, no multi-day result was recorded on that tour, making the upcoming four-day fixture a fresh contest.
Full India A squads are as follows:
T20s: Vrinda Dinesh, Tanisha Singh, Sanika Chalke, Anushka Sharma (C), Niki Prasad, G Kamalini (WK), Shipra Giri (WK), Minnu Mani (VC), Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Vaishnavi Sharma, Prema Rawat, Saima Thakor, Monica Patel, Kashvee Gautam.
One-day matches: Vrinda Dinesh, Tanisha Singh, Priya Punia, Anushka Sharma (C), Niki Prasad, G Kamalini (WK), Shipra Giri (WK), Minnu Mani (VC), Tejal Hasabnis, Shreyanka Patil, Amisha Bahukandi, Shabnam Shakil, Saima Thakor, Akshita Bhagat, Kashvee Gautam.
Multi-day match: Shubha Satheesh, Priya Punia, Tanisha Singh, Purvaja Verlekar, Henreitta Perera, Tejal Hasabnis (VC), Shipra Giri (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Minnu Mani (C), Shreyanka Patil, Saima Thakor, Akshita Bhagat, Amisha Bahukandi, Happy Kumari, Shabnam Shakil.
With the senior women's calendar growing busier, this series will be closely watched as a pipeline assessment for India's next wave of international talent.