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Edgbaston, Birmingham: India got the perfect start to the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup by smashing bitter rivals Pakistan by 64 runs at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham on June 14. A trademark Smriti Mandhana special, followed by an explosive finish from Richa Ghosh, set India up well before the spin attack left Pakistan hapless as the Women in Blue began their campaign to achieve the “World Cup Double.”
Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat first, looking to take advantage of the favorable batting surface. The decision seemed justified when Shafali Verma launched the Indian campaign with a six over long-off. However, just four deliveries later, her eagerness got the better of her as she nicked a wild swing through to Muneeba Ali behind the stumps, giving Sadia Iqbal her redemption.
Things quickly worsened for India when Jemimah Rodrigues was dismissed trying to go big after struggling through seven deliveries. Natalia Pervaiz initially fumbled the catch before holding on off Tasmia Rubab, offering an early sign of what was to come.
Mandhana and Kaur then steadied the innings, spending the remainder of the powerplay preventing a collapse as India reached 38 runs. Mandhana received a major reprieve when she was dropped on 27 by Aliya Riaz at mid-off in the eighth over. The left-hander responded emphatically, scoring 26 runs off her next 12 deliveries to bring up a half-century.
As luck would have it, she was dropped again on 55 when Saira Jabeen let the ball slip through her hands for six. Mandhana’s fortune finally ran out on 68 as captain Fatima Sana held on at long-on to give Rameen Shamim a crucial breakthrough, ending a 91-run partnership for the third wicket.
Pakistan struck again just a couple of deliveries later when Bharthi Fulmali found herself stranded and was stumped off Iqbal’s bowling while attempting to provide the late-innings impact role she had been brought in for.
Kaur was the next to depart, scoring 36 after anchoring the innings with smart running between the wickets. She was caught at deep square leg by Pervaiz while attempting to accelerate toward the end of the innings.
Ghosh ultimately rescued India’s finish with a blistering 34 off just 17 balls. Alongside Deepti Sharma, she added 38 runs in the final two overs to propel India to 170/6.
Pakistan responded positively with the bat, with Ali finding the boundary off the very first ball of the innings. Alongside Gull Feroza, she took the attack to pacers Arundhati Reddy and Kranti Gaud, providing Pakistan with a far stronger start than India had managed.
Ali also enjoyed a moment of fortune when she was dropped by Reddy off Shreyanka Patil’s bowling on 21.
Feroza was not as lucky, reverse-sweeping Deepti Sharma straight to Fulmali at point to hand India their first wicket. Sharma struck again soon afterward, dismissing Ayesha Zafar, who swept directly to Mandhana at short fine leg.
India’s spin attack continued to dominate. Sree Charani claimed her first wicket immediately after entering the attack when Saira Jabeen edged a delivery to Kaur.
The mounting pressure finally began to affect Pakistan after a productive powerplay. India repeatedly threatened with Pakistan’s risky running between the wickets, and Deepti Sharma eventually produced a direct hit to end Ali’s innings on 41.
Verma then contributed with the ball, inducing captain Sana to drive straight to her opening partner Mandhana in the covers, reducing Pakistan to 77/5. The exact same scenario unfolded in the following over, this time with Charani bowling, Pervaiz batting, and Kaur taking the catch.
Riaz and Shamim attempted to rebuild and simply survive, but Shamim eventually became Charani’s third victim, with Patil completing an excellent diving catch inside the circle.
Sharma then added some theater, warning Nushra Sandhu with a mock Mankad attempt before immediately following it up with her third and fourth wickets as Riaz and Rubab both slogged catches to Rodrigues at deep midwicket.
Sharma fittingly finished the game by claiming her fifth wicket, bowling Pakistan out for 106 and ending with remarkable figures of 5/10.
What We Learned
Richa Ghosh: Finisher or Keeper?
Ghosh delivered another outstanding performance with the bat, striking 34 runs at a strike rate of 200 and once again proving her immense value as a T20 finisher.
However, questions remain regarding her wicketkeeping. She recorded three fumbles behind the stumps, including two strong catching opportunities. While her keeping remains one of the few blemishes on India’s otherwise polished fielding performance, dropping her is not a realistic option given her immense contributions with the bat.
With Yastika Bhatia available in the squad, there is a reasonable argument for giving her an opportunity behind the stumps after nearly two years away from the role. It is an issue India may need to address before the tournament intensifies and small mistakes begin deciding matches.
Promising, but Not Enough
Given the difference in quality between the two sides, Pakistan gave India a genuine challenge and threatened an upset on multiple occasions, first through the early wickets and later with an impressive powerplay performance.
However, the gap between the teams became evident in Pakistan’s inability to capitalize on the pressure they created. Dropped catches in the field, a lack of discipline at the death, reckless running between the wickets, and poor shot selection against India’s suffocating field placements ultimately proved costly.
There is little doubt that Pakistan possesses the talent to compete on the biggest stage, as demonstrated during the 2025 ODI World Cup. However, developing a stronger match-winning mentality remains essential if they hope to consistently challenge elite opposition.
Closing that gap could turn the Women in Green into serious contenders in this group of death.
What They Said
Wahab Riaz, Pakistan Head Coach
“Talking about the powerplay, we really went well. It was just that we needed to score 7 or 8 an over in the next 3-4 overs not to give a wicket and that will create another pressure because if wickets are in hand and things are going smoothly, then you are always in the game.”
“Very unfortunately, after the 7th over till the 13th over, we lost 5 wickets in a row and in a T20 game it is very difficult for you to make a comeback after that.”
Deepti Sharma, India
“I kept my plans very simple. It was just self-belief that whenever such situations come up, I will have to step up. The wicket was slightly turning, so I was hitting my good balls at my good length. I kept bowling back-to-back in the good areas.”
(On Indian fans in Birmingham) “I didn’t feel that we are playing in the UK to be very honest.
We get so much crowd and fans are cheering for us.”
“It feels like a home condition only because we played last year’s World Cup at home and we didn’t feel that we were playing in the UK. It’s a good thing and I can say that fans will come and support.”
What comes next
India Vs Netherlands, Wednesday, June 17 @ Headingley, Leeds, 2:30 PM BST (10:00 AM EST; 7:00 PM IST)
Pakistan Vs South Africa, Wednesday, June 17 @ Edgbaston, Birmingham 6:30 PM BST (2:00 PM EST; 11:00 PM IST).
