Smriti Mandhana to Lead India Across All Formats in South Africa

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced India's women's squads for the upcoming all-format tour of South Africa, scheduled to take place from December 9 to 30, 2026. Star batter Smriti Mandhana will lead the Indian team across all three formats, including the one-off Test, three-match One-Day International (ODI) series and three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series.

🚨 News 🚨 #TeamIndia squads announced for all-format tour of South Africa 📝 👉 Smriti Mandhana takes charge as full-time Test captain 🙌 Details ▶️ https://t.co/L5jiMKSphi #SAvIND https://t.co/67NvBjQGiH

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) November 9, 2026

The announcement marks an important milestone in Mandhana's leadership journey as she takes charge of India's Test team for the first time as the full-time captain. She will continue to lead the ODI and T20I sides as India prepare for a challenging international assignment against the Proteas.

Deepti Sharma has been appointed vice-captain of the Test and ODI squads, while opener Shafali Verma will serve as Mandhana's deputy in the T20I format. Former captain Harmanpreet Kaur has retained her place across all three squads.

Jemimah Rodrigues Returns, Jintimani Kalita Earns Test Call-Up

One of the notable developments in the squad announcement is the return of Jemimah Rodrigues to the Indian setup. She has been included in all three squads after missing previous international assignments due to injury.

Another significant inclusion is Jintimani Kalita, who has earned her maiden call-up to India's Test squad. Her selection highlights the selectors' continued focus on strengthening the team's options across formats.

The Test and ODI squads comprise 15 players each, while the T20I squad features 17 members.

Vaishnavi Sharma has been included in the ODI squad in place of Sneh Rana, who features in the Test squad but has not been selected for the 50-over series.

India's Test Squad

Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia (Wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma (Vice-Captain), Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Jintimani Kalita and Sayali Satghare.

India's ODI Squad

Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia (Wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma (Vice-Captain), Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Jintimani Kalita and Sayali Satghare.

India's T20I Squad

Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Shafali Verma (Vice-Captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Niki Prasad, Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper), G. Kamalini (Wicketkeeper), Anushka Sharma, Deepti Sharma, Sree Charani, Prema Rawat, Amanjot Kaur, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy and Sayali Satghare.

India Women's Tour of South Africa 2026: Full Schedule

The tour will begin with the four-day one-off Test in Gqeberha from December 9 to 12. The teams will then compete in three ODIs before concluding the tour with a three-match T20I series.

One-off Test
December 9–12: India vs South Africa – Gqeberha

ODI Series
December 16: 1st ODI – Paarl
December 19: 2nd ODI – Cape Town
December 22: 3rd ODI – Bloemfontein

T20I Series
December 26: 1st T20I – Benoni
December 29: 2nd T20I – Potchefstroom
December 30: 3rd T20I – Potchefstroom

A Significant Assignment for India's New Captain

The South Africa tour will provide Mandhana with an important opportunity to establish her leadership across all three formats. With experienced campaigners such as Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma alongside emerging talents, India will look to put together strong performances in challenging South African conditions.

The return of Jemimah Rodrigues and the inclusion of promising young players add further depth to the Indian squads.

With seven international matches scheduled across three formats, the December tour promises to be an important test of India's depth, adaptability and preparations for future international competitions.