SACA ANNOUNCES SQUAD OF 15 FOR 2026 INAUGURAL WOMEN’S PROGRAMME
- Steven Fletcher
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
SACA is today delighted to name the fifteen players who have been selected to join the inaugural SACA Women’s pilot programme being run in collaboration with Take Her Lead throughout the 2026 season.
The volume of high-quality applicants from across the country to join the Women’s programme led SACA to immediately review their initial plans of recruiting a cohort of between 6 and 10 players, and develop an expanded programme to cater for a larger squad of 15, as announced recently.
The 15 strong squad selected to represent SACA Women in 2026 is as follows:
Bhoomika Bhat – age 21
o Role: Leg-spinner / all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Kent Pathway / Surrey Pathway / Gloucestershire Women (Tier Two) – featured in Vitality Blast and Metro Bank One-Day Cup
o Current status: Gunnersbury Women in Southern Premier League & Gloucestershire Women (Tier Two)
Anusha Chauhan – age 23
o Role: Leg spinner / all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Warwickshire Pathway U13s-U17s / Worcestershire Pathway U18s / Herefordshire (Tier Three)
o Current status: Staffordshire Women (Tier Three)
Kashish Choudhary – age 18
o Role: Pace bowling all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Berkshire Pathway U16 / Surrey Pathway U16-U18 / Harayan U19 (India)
o Current status: Ickenham CC & Cookham CC
Imaan Effendi – age 19
o Role: Bowling all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Yorkshire Pathway U15s / Leicestershire Pathway U18s / Loughborough University / England U22 Indoor / England U17 Junior Indoor / MCCF West Yorkshire Hub
o Current status: Leicestershire CAG
Maryam Faisal – age 20
o Role: Top order / opening batter
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Western Warriors U18s / Scotland u17s / Scotland u19s / Scotland A / Scotland Women’s national team / Northern Diamonds Academy
o Current status: Scotland Women’s national team / Scotland A
Iqraa Hussain – age 27
o Role: Wicket keeper / middle order batter
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Middlesex Pathway from Under 11s / Middlesex Women (Tier Two) / National Asian Cricket Council
o Current status: Berkshire Women (Tier Three)
Amarah Imran – age 18
o Role: Top order batter / pace bowler
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Surrey Pathway U14s-U18s / Surrey County EPP / South-East Stars EPP
o Current status: Surrey County U18s
Anjali Ketan – age 20
o Role: RA leg spinner / all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Surrey Pathway / South-East Stars Academy / Surrey Women 2nd XI Regional Pathway / Surrey Women Academy / Surrey Women 2nd XI
o Current status: Leicestershire Women (Tier Two) – featured in Metro Bank One-Day Cup and Vitality Blast
Sanya Khurana - age 21
o Role: Top order batter / RH off-break bowler
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Hampshire Pathway U18s
o Current status: Playing for Netherlands Women in the World Cup in England and Wales 2026 / Worcestershire Women (Tier Two)
Riva Pindoria – age 19
o Role: Top order batter
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Middlesex Pathway from U11s-U18s / Middlesex Women (Tier Two) / Sunrisers Academy
o Current status: Middlesex Women (Tier Two) / Essex Academy
Zaynah Rehman – age 25
o Role: LA spinner / all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Essex Pathway U15s / Suffolk Women (Tier Three) / Leicestershire Women (Tier Two) / Loughborough University
o Current status: Buckinghamshire Women (Tier Three)
Rhia Sedha – age 19
o Role: Batting all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Yorkshire Pathway U11s-U18s / Northern Diamonds EPP / MCCF Bradford Hub
o Current status: Lincolnshire Women (Tier Three) / National Asian Cricket Council
Nayma Sheikh – age 19
o Role: Middle-order / Leg Spinner
o Batting style: LH batter
o Played for: Scotland U15s-U19s / Yorkshire Pathway U18s / Lancashire Academy
o Current status: Scotland Women national side / Leicestershire Women (Tier Two)
Asmi Shembekar – age 21
o Role: Pace bowling all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Yorkshire Pathway U17s & U18s / Leicestershire Women (Tier Two) / Northern Diamonds EPP
o Current status: Buckinghamshire Women (Tier Three)
Regina Suddahazai Khan – age 20
o Role: Batting all-rounder
o Batting style: RH batter
o Played for: Sussex Pathway U11s-U18s / Sussex Women (Tier Two) / Italy Women national side
o Current status: Sussex Women (Tier Two)
It is thanks to the open application process as well as strong links with the county cricket boards, coaching community and diverse cricket organisations like the National Asian Cricket Council, that such a high calibre of talent has been collated for the programme.
The squad will begin training immediately and will benefit from a fully funded programme, with one-to-one coaching sessions being held across the country with SACA’s team of existing elite coaches, a number of all-squad dedicated training camps over the coming months, and specialist support and mentoring provided by Take Her Lead’s advisory panel of experts in the Women’s game in areas such as Strength and Conditioning, nutrition and psychology.
SACA is currently liaising with a number of first-class counties to arrange a fixture list for the 2026 campaign, which will see the SACA Women’s squad able to put their skills to the test against some established Women’s sides in a competitive playing environment – mirroring the showcase opportunities the SACA men’s squad benefit from.
Speaking of the Women’s squad intake for 2026, Tom Brown, Founder and Managing Director of SACA, commented:
“We are thrilled to have collated such a talented squad for our pilot Women’s programme in 2026 and are excited about what this group of players can achieve.
“Selecting a final fifteen from the high volume of top-quality players who applied to join us was a challenge in itself, but the group we have selected have all the qualities we need to give us every confidence that we can make a huge success of the programme.
“We’ve got a good mix of age and experience within the group, some with many years spent in the county Women’s game and some with experience of representing their respective national sides, and we’ll be looking for those players to share that experience with the younger players in the group who can learn a huge amount from them as they gel as a unit. Irrespective of the levels of experience they have, one thing is abundantly clear at this stage, and that’s the simple fact that every one of the players in this squad is hugely talented and has the potential to progress in the game.
“With training starting immediately, the coaching group are really excited to start working with the squad and to what lies ahead over what will no doubt be an exciting first year for the SACA Women’s squad.
“We wish each of the group every success over the coming season and are looking forward to seeing their progression as we move forwards.”
Isa Guha, Founder and Chair of Take Her Lead, commented:
“There are many factors that may have limited the progression of these women to the highest levels of the game. From my own experience, I understand some of the barriers South Asian girls can face - whether within the talent pathway itself or from expectations within families and communities.
“Through this pilot programme, our aim is not only to elevate performance and showcase the incredible talent within this group, but also to better understand their lived experiences and the challenges they encounter. By doing so, we can provide meaningful, tailored support - from psychological services to personal development - ensuring they have every opportunity to thrive.
“The THL Advisory Group is looking forward to attending the training camps to deliver holistic support, including nutritional guidance tailored to South Asian diets, as well as expertise in female-focused psychology, coaching, and strength and conditioning. Advisors including myself, Sonia Odedra and Abtaha Maqsood will also share our insights and experiences as South Asian players to help guide and inspire the next generation.
“I’m incredibly excited to see how far these women can go with the backing of SACA and the THL Advisors in the months ahead.”