Tayla Vlaeminck set for long-awaited international return as Aussies send strong mix of experience and youth on ‘A’ tour
Experienced international quicks Darcie Brown and Tayla Vlaeminck will spearhead a strong Australia A side that will tour India next month.
A 15-player squad will play India A in three T20s in New Chandigarh, three 50-over fixtures in Mohali and a four-day match at the picturesque Dharamshala ground in a three-week tour.
The tour will mark a long-awaited return to top-flight cricket for Vlaeminck, who has endured a wretched run with injuries so far in her career, with her and South Australia’s Brown to feature in the white-ball component of the tour.
Australia A squad to tour India
Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Charli Knott, Anika Learoyd, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Frankie Nicklin, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson, Tayla Vlaeminck
Vlaeminck was carefully managed through a three-day Green-v-Gold red-ball match in April, limited to bowling six overs in each innings, with returns of 1-15 and 0-11. That match had been her first match since she dislocated her bowling shoulder while fielding on the boundary in the opening over of her first match of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Vlaeminck spent part of the winter training with Yorkshire in the UK and was a guest at several of Australia’s training sessions during the World Cup campaign. The 27-year-old Victorian had lost her Cricket Australia contract in April following the torrid run of shoulder, foot and knee injuries.
Brown was a surprise omission for Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign which saw the Sophie Molineux-led side sweep through the tournament undefeated.
The 23-year-old South Australian has effectively been replaced in the national side by Queensland left-armer Lucy Hamilton, who took a wicket in the World Cup final with her second delivery to put Australia on course for victory.
National selector Shawn Flegler, who said it was a “tough call” to cut Vlaeminck from the CA contract list in April, said it was “great to have Tayla back in the green and gold and to have Darcie back in action.
“Both bring invaluable international experience to the group and having them alongside some of our younger players provides a great opportunity for those emerging cricketers to learn from two world-class fast bowlers while continuing their own development.”
Tahlia Wilson, who was Australia’s travelling reserve for that T20 World Cup campaign, will captain Australia A in the 50-over matches in Mohali. Victoria’s Nicole Faltum will captain in the T20 matches while Tasmania’s Rachel Trenaman will skipper in the four-day match.
More than half of the squad are aged 25 or under, including a pair of 21-year-old allrounders in NSW’s Frankie Nicklin and Queenslander Sianna Ginger. Off-spinner Nicklin took eight wickets to power the Gold side to a thumping 148-run win in April’s red-ball exhibition match.
“This tour presents the players with a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience in subcontinental conditions and test themselves against strong international opposition,” said Flegler.
“Exposure to Indian conditions early in a player’s career is invaluable and those experiences provide an important foundation before they make the step up to international cricket.”
The squad will be coached by Gavan Twining, stepping in from his role as an assistant with Australia’s senior side, with Mick Delaney and Cameron Boyce his assistants.
Australia A tour of India 2026 – women
First T20: September 12, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, 10:30pm AEST
Second T20: September 15, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, 10:30pm AEST
Third T20: September 17, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, 10:30pm AEST
First one-dayer: September 20, IS Bindra Stadium, 6:30pm AEST (D/N)
Second one-dayer: September 23, IS Bindra Stadium, 1:30pm AEST
Third one-dayer: September 25, IS Bindra Stadium, 6:30pm AEST (D/N)
Four-dayer: September 29 – October 2, Himachal Pradesh Stadium, 2pm AEST
