India, May 2 -- Harleen Deol's omission from India's Women's T20 World Cup 2026 squad came down to a direct middle-order call, with selection committee chair Amita Sharma saying the panel felt Bharti Fulmali was the better option for the role.

India announced their 15-member squad for the tournament on Saturday, with Harmanpreet Kaur as captain and Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain. Harleen, who was part of India's ODI World Cup-winning setup last year, was not included in the T20 World Cup squad. She was, however, named in the Test squad, making the decision clearly format-specific.

The debate over Harleen Deol's selection had a strong recent context. During WPL 2026, UP Warriorz retired her out against Delhi Capitals when she was battin...