BIRMINGHAM (Kashmir English): In the high-voltage clash of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, the Indian women’s team set arch rivals Pakistan a target of 171 runs for victory, on Sunday.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first in the match being played at Birmingham’s historic Edgbaston Stadium.
The Indian team did not have a good start, losing two crucial wickets for a total score of just 18 runs.
Opener Shafali Verma was out for 6 runs off Sadia Iqbal’s bowling, while Jemimah Rodrigues fell victim to Tasmia Rubab after scoring only 1 run.
After the initial setback, the Indian middle order made a strong comeback with openers Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur batting responsibly, also increasing pressure on the Pakistani bowlers.
Smriti Mandhana played a brilliant and aggressive innings of 68 runs, providing a strong foundation for the team.
In the 17th over, captain Harmanpreet Kaur was dismissed, and Pakistani team tried to make a comeback, but Richa Ghosh’s explosive batting in the final overs prevented the run rate from dropping.
India posted a large total of 170 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the allotted 20 overs.
From the Pakistan side, Sadia Iqbal and captain Fatima Sana bowled excellently, taking 2 wickets each.
ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2026
Before the match, a large number of fans from both teams were present in the stadium, however, after the toss, the traditional handshake between the two captains was not seen, which was surprising for the fans.
