New Delhi, Sept. 17 -- India will begin their women's cricket campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as defending champions, with several members of the gold-medal-winning 2023 squad returning for another shot at continental glory.

India won the women's cricket gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, beating Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final. The tournament marked India's first appearance in Asian Games cricket.

Three years later, the squad has undergone considerable change. However, five players from India's 2023 squad are part of the final 2026 squad: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh.

Harmanpreet Kaur remains the captain of India's Asian Games side, just as she ...