England’s next generation is stepping directly into the line of fire. Surrey’s standout wicketkeeper-batter Kira Chathli has been named captain of the England Women A squad for their highly anticipated multi-format home series against India. Spanning the tail end of June and the beginning of July 2026, the bilateral face-off will feature three T20s followed by three One-Dayers.
For Chathli, the appointment caps off an extraordinary career surge. Having recently broken into the senior England Women’s national setup for the first time following a blistering domestic run where she had an impressive average of 31.50, fetching 189 runs from 7 innings, which included a couple of half-centuries representing Surrey in the ongoing ECB Women’s One Day Cup. The 26-year-old now inherits the tactical reins of a vibrant, developmental group.
Coach Jon Lewis will take charge of the dugout, viewing the series as a definitive crucible for senior national team aspirations. “Earning selection for an A side is proof you’re on the right path, but the next challenge is scoring runs or taking wickets consistently in domestic cricket and pushing for senior selection,” Lewis noted. “I’m delighted for Kira; I’m sure she’ll look forward to leading the group.”
Kira Chathli has shown impressive leadership credentials, taking over as Surrey skipper in the ongoing One Day Cup, she has settled seamlessly into her role as a leader. Her proactive leadership has also reflected in terms of performances as a unit, placing Surrey 3rd on the points table with 22 points from 8 games, including five victories and three defeats in their promising campaign so far.
Her learnings and experience leading the side will be crucial in guiding a fairly young side to success in their upcoming white-ball series against India.
England Women A T20 Squad
Kira Chathli (C, WK), Grace Ballinger, Jodi Grewcock, Emma Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Ella McCaughan, Kalea Moore, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Grace Potts, Grace Scrivens, Sophia Smale, Alexa Stonehouse
England Women A 50-Over Squad
Kira Chathli (C, WK), Grace Ballinger, Jodi Grewcock, Ella McCaughan, Flo Miller, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Charley Phillips, Grace Potts, Grace Scrivens, Chloe Skelton, Sophia Smale, Alexa Stonehouse, Warwickshire
While the squad relies heavily on the country’s most explosive young regional and U19 stars, Chathli will have a crucial safety net. The roster features three immensely talented prodigies who have already tasted senior international cricket: Jodi Grewcock, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, and Charis Pavely.
Jodi Grewcock: The prodigiously gifted left handed all rounder made her senior ODI debut against New Zealand in May 2026. A breakout star in the domestic circuit, Grewcock earned her stripes by eye-catching all-round performances in the domestic circuit, proving to be an invaluable multi-phase weapon with her precise leg-breaks and gritty middle-order batting.
Ryana MacDonald-Gay : A lethal right-arm medium pacer who has already broken into England’s Test, ODI, and T20I teams. MacDonald-Gay brings a proven international edge to the bowling unit. Representing Surrey in the Vitality Blast, she is currently the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 13 wickets at an average of 10.53 and an economy of 5.70 in six innings, which also included a fierce 6/11 spell against Durham showing signs of massive impact when she’s at her best.
Charis Pavely: The slow left-arm orthodox spinner burst onto the international scene with a spectacular senior T20I debut against Ireland, claiming her career-best 3/19. Pavely has been in red hot form for Warwickshire in the 2026 One Day Cup, hammering a magnificent 128* against The Blaze and an equally explosive 127 against Somerset. She is currently the leading run-scorer, already amassing 466 runs at a strike rate of 110.95 and an outstanding average of 77.66 in 8 innings, including 3 half-centuries and a couple of centuries so far in 8 matches in the tournament.
The high-stakes series starts with the shorter format as the cinch County Ground in Northampton hosts the first two T20s on Saturday, 20 June and Tuesday, 23 June, before shifting to Essex for the final T20 at the Chelmsford on Thursday, 25 June. From there, the teams transition to the 50-over format, kicking off the one-day leg at Taunton on Sunday, 28 June. The battle then moves to a double-header finish, with the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton, Somerset playing host to both the second and third 50-over matches on Wednesday, 1 July and Saturday, 4 July.
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