India Women Handed Brutal Reality Check For T20 World Cup Despite Big Win Over Pakistan

India Women Handed Brutal Reality For T20 World Cup (Source: AFP Photos)

India Women began their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 journey on Sunday with a commanding victory over Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham. After posting 170/6 on the board, the Women in Blue folded Pakistan for 106 in 17 overs, securing a statement 64-run victory to kick off the proceedings.

Deepti Sharma, in particular, wreaked havoc against Pakistan. She returned excellent figures of five wickets for 10 runs off her four overs, and broke many records in the process.

On the other hand, Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh were exceptional with the bat in hand. While Mandhana made 68 off 44 with nine fours and two sixes, Richa came up with some damaging blows in the end for her quickfire 17-ball 34.

Pakistan Rout Not Enough For India

Not to forget, India are yet to win a T20 World Cup trophy. They won the ODI World Cup last time, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final, the glory for T20 World Cup is yet to be achieved by Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti, among others.

Even though India’s victory over Pakistan seemed dominant on paper, they struggled in multiple phases to get there. Firstly, after losing Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues early, they took way too long to recover.

In addition, Pakistan were in charge while batting in the Powerplay. Unfortunately for them, a collapse occurred, and they could not recover.

Speaking at Ash ki Baat after the India vs Pakistan match, R Ashwin shared his opinion regarding the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side. 

Ashwin, while having a conversation with Vimal Kumar, felt that India are not strong enough to win the T20 World Cup 2026, particularly because they don’t have a perfect balance in their lineup.

"I am not sure India will go very far in this T20 World Cup because there is a lack of power in the lineup. While India were excellent against Pakistan and their spin attack once again proved decisive, the team still lacks the depth that sides like England and Australia possess," Ashwin said on Ash ki Baat.

"India's combination appears slightly short on power-hitting options, which could become a concern in tougher matches against stronger opponents. Compared to the strong lineups of England and Australia, India's overall team depth remains a significant worry," he added.

Whom Will India Women Play Next In T20 World Cup 2026?

India women will next face the Netherlands women, who are making the T20 World Cup debut. The match will take place at Headingley on Wednesday.

After that, Mandhana and the rest of the girls will play against South Africa, Bangladesh, and finally Australia in their remaining group-stage fixtures. They are pooled into Group A, from where only two teams will qualify for the semi-finals.

The first semi-final will play on June 30 at the Oval, while the second semi-final is scheduled for July 2 at the same venue. The final, meanwhile, will happen at the Lord’s on July 5.

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