India made a commanding start to their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, defeating Pakistan by 64 runs in a highly anticipated Group A clash at Edgbaston, Birmingham. A brilliant all-round display, led by Smriti Mandhana’s fluent half-century and Deepti Sharma’s sensational bowling spell, helped India secure a convincing victory over their arch-rivals.
After winning the toss, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur elected to bat first. India recovered from an early wobble thanks to a crucial partnership between Mandhana and Harmanpreet.
Mandhana played an attacking knock of 68 runs from 44 deliveries, finding the boundary regularly and keeping the scoreboard moving. Harmanpreet provided solid support with 36 runs, helping India build a strong foundation in the middle overs.
The innings received a significant boost in the final stages when wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh unleashed a flurry of boundaries.
Her unbeaten 34 off just 17 balls propelled India to a competitive total of 170 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Pakistan’s bowlers managed to pick up wickets at regular intervals but struggled to contain India’s aggressive batting approach in the death overs.
Chasing 171 for victory, Pakistan started positively and showed intent during the powerplay. Opener Muneeba Ali led the resistance with a fighting 41 runs, but the momentum shifted dramatically once India’s spinners entered the attack.
Deepti Sharma emerged as the star performer, dismantling Pakistan’s batting lineup with figures of 5 for 10. Her spell triggered a collapse that saw Pakistan lose wickets in quick succession and eventually get bowled out for 106.
India’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout the chase, ensuring Pakistan never recovered after the middle-order collapse. Deepti was well supported by the rest of the bowling unit, which kept scoring opportunities to a minimum and capitalized on every mistake.
The emphatic victory gives India a strong start to their World Cup journey and a valuable boost in net run rate.
With confidence high after defeating their biggest rivals, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will look to carry the momentum into their upcoming group-stage matches as they continue their pursuit of a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title.
