Sneh Rana, Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal return as India name squad for Lord’s Test against England
India have announced their squad for the one-off women’s Test against England women's national cricket team at Lord's Cricket Ground, with experienced all-rounder Sneh Rana, batter Harleen Deol and young prospect Pratika Rawal returning to the national setup.
The squad announcement came alongside India’s team selection for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 and the preceding T20I series against England. All three returning players had missed out on selection for the T20 World Cup squad, making their inclusion in the Test setup particularly significant.
The standalone Test at Lord’s is scheduled to begin on July 10, just five days after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup final, as part of India’s multi-phase tour of England. India’s England tour has been divided into two sections due to the scheduling of the T20 World Cup. The three-match T20I series will be played from May 28 to June 2 before the focus shifts toward the longer format after the global tournament concludes.
The return of Sneh Rana is one of the biggest talking points in the squad. The experienced off-spinning all-rounder has been a valuable contributor for India in Test cricket over recent years, particularly because of her ability to provide balance with both bat and ball. Rana’s calm temperament and experience in overseas conditions make her an important option in a longer-format contest expected to test India’s depth. Harleen Deol’s inclusion also provides India additional batting flexibility and fielding strength. Although she narrowly missed out on the T20 World Cup squad, the management clearly continues to value her versatility, especially in conditions where adaptability and patience become critical.
For Pratika Rawal, meanwhile, the selection marks another major step in her rapid rise through Indian cricket. The young batter has impressed consistently in domestic competitions and India A cricket, earning recognition as one of the brightest batting prospects currently emerging in the women’s setup. While she missed the T20 World Cup cut, her inclusion for the Test suggests the selectors view her technique and temperament as particularly suited for the longer format.
The Test squad also sees the return of wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, who has battled through an extended injury phase over recent months. Yastika’s comeback adds important experience to the batting lineup and strengthens India’s wicketkeeping depth alongside Richa Ghosh. There are three changes from the Indian squad that played the previous one-off Test against Australia in Perth earlier this year.
Vaishnavi Sharma, Uma Chetry and Amanjot Kaur have all made way for Yastika Bhatia, Sneh Rana and left-arm spinner Sree Charani. Charani’s inclusion reflects India’s continued investment in young spin-bowling talent. The left-arm spinner has steadily impressed in domestic cricket and now receives an opportunity to potentially feature in one of the most iconic venues in world cricket. India’s pace attack for the Test will include experienced names like Renuka Thakur alongside emerging seamers Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Nandini Sharma.
Nandini Sharma, in particular, has enjoyed a breakthrough phase recently after earning her maiden T20 World Cup call-up. Her inclusion in both the T20 and Test setups indicates the management’s growing confidence in her ability across formats. The batting core remains largely stable under captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Alongside them, India will continue relying on the experience of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, while Deepti Sharma once again assumes a critical all-round role in English conditions likely to assist spin later in the match.
The Lord’s Test also carries added significance because women’s Test opportunities remain relatively limited in the international calendar. Every selection therefore becomes highly valuable, particularly for younger players attempting to establish themselves in the longer format. For India, the challenge will be balancing the physical and mental transition from a high-intensity T20 World Cup directly into a red-ball contest against England. The five-day gap between the World Cup final and the start of the Test leaves very little recovery or preparation time, making squad depth and player management crucial.
At the same time, the opportunity to play a Test at Lord’s remains one of the biggest occasions in world cricket. For players like Pratika Rawal, Nandini Sharma and Sree Charani, this tour could become a defining stage in their early international careers. For senior players like Sneh Rana and Harleen Deol, it represents another chance to reinforce their value within India’s evolving setup.
India’s squad reflects a blend of experience, youth and long-term planning all of which will now be tested in one of cricket’s most historic arenas.
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