India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on 2 May acknowledged that seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur's absence due to a back injury has created a significant void in the squad for the Women's T20 World Cup, scheduled from 12 June to 5 July in England. However, Harmanpreet expressed confidence that Bharti Fulmali and Radha Yadav will rise to the occasion with positive intent.

Amanjot has been sidelined for the next four to five months and also missed India's 4-1 T20I series loss in South Africa last month. "Amanjot was our key player. Unfortunately, she is not available. She is away from cricket for the next four to five months now," Harmanpreet said at a press conference after the squad announcement at the BCCI headquarters.

The replacement challenge

Harmanpreet stressed that finding a direct replacement for Amanjot's all-round capabilities proved difficult. "In place of her, it was very difficult to find someone like her who can fulfil that place," the captain said. The squad announcement came ahead of a three-match T20I series against England from 28 May to 2 June.

Bharti and Radha step in

Bharti was retained after earning two chances in South Africa, where she scored 40 and 2. Radha, the all-rounder, makes her return to the T20I setup for the first time since England's tour last year. With 89 T20I caps and 103 wickets since her debut in 2018, Radha is set to play her fifth T20 World Cup.

"Bharti, whatever opportunity she got, she tried to prove herself. We have got Radha back in the side because she is also an all-rounder who can contribute with bat, ball, and field," Harmanpreet added. The return of both players was also facilitated by injuries to Kashvee Gautam, who requires surgery for a serious right knee injury.

Bowling unit under scrutiny

Harmanpreet acknowledged the bowling unit's struggles during the recent South Africa series, particularly in the power-play phase. However, she cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from a single poor outing. "In T20 format, with the runs being made, it's a hard job for bowlers. But still, they were trying their best. Unfortunately, this was the only series where our bowling didn't click much," she said.

She highlighted India's broader track record: "After the last T20 World Cup, we have won almost every T20 series. This was the only series where we didn't do well. So I think in one series, I can't judge my players."

Pre-World Cup preparations

Harmanpreet underscored the importance of the upcoming training camp and the England series as crucial preparation windows. "After this selection meeting, after a week, we are going to have another camp where we will try to cover the areas where we feel we need to work harder. Hopefully, before the World Cup, we are getting a very good series against England and will get that rhythm back," she said.

New faces in the squad

Beyond Bharti, uncapped pacer Nandni Sharma earned a call-up after taking 17 wickets in WPL 2026, including a hat-trick. "Nandni Sharma, I think, has also proved herself in WPL, and she is one of the top wicket takers. We do have options, and luckily, our plan A players got injured, but somehow, we still got really good options," Harmanpreet said.