The Indian women’s team are on the road to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. They have hit a roadblock right at the start, losing the first W-T20I against South Africa. India didn’t play a bad game in Durban. They had the start, they had the platform, and at one stage, they had the control. Yet, they ended up 15-20 runs short and couldn’t close the game out with the ball. With just seven T20Is left before the World Cup begins on June 12, this is no longer about experimentation. It’s about their biggest players stepping up at the right time.
Ingredients are there but no certainty
Shafali Verma set the tone with her quickfire 34 at a strike rate of 200. Smriti Mandhana got going. Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur stitched together a 71-run stand that should have taken India to 170-plus without breaking much sweat. Instead, they finished at 157.
That collapse at the back end has been a recurring issue. India made just 33 runs in the last five overs, lost four wickets, and more importantly, no one took ownership once Rodrigues fell. Harmanpreet stayed till the end with 47 not out but the innings around her stalled.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. not peaking together
Harmanpreet Kaur and company lost their last ODI series against Australia. The big players just didn’t step up. India have match-winners across the XI, but very rarely are they firing in the same game. Shafali gives you starts, Mandhana has been patchy, Jemimah is consistent without always going big and Harmanpreet is carrying the responsibility of finishing, with Richa Ghosh blowing hot and cold. Rodrigues herself admitted it after the match that a set batter needed to go deeper. That’s the difference between 157 and 175. Between competing and controlling.
Even with 157, India were in the contest. But 14 wides, dropped catches at the death, and an over-rate penalty that forced an extra fielder inside the circle in the final that cost India the game. Against top teams, these errors will always prove costly. On paper, India bat deep. Multiple all-rounders, plenty of options. In reality, those players haven’t had enough time in the middle under pressure. This is where the next seven games become crucial.
India women’s team schedule till T20 World Cup 2026
| Date | Match | Venue | Teams | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2026 | 2nd T20I | Durban, Kingsmead | South Africa Women vs India Women | 5:30 PM |
| Apr 22, 2026 | 3rd T20I | Johannesburg, Wanderers Stadium | South Africa Women vs India Women | 9:30 PM |
| Apr 25, 2026 | 4th T20I | Johannesburg, Wanderers Stadium | South Africa Women vs India Women | 9:30 PM |
| Apr 27, 2026 | 5th T20I | Benoni, Willowmoore Park | South Africa Women vs India Women | 5:30 PM |
| May 28, 2026 | 1st T20I | Chelmsford, County Ground | England Women vs India Women | 11:00 PM |
| May 30, 2026 | 2nd T20I | Bristol, County Ground | England Women vs India Women | 11:00 PM |
| Jun 02, 2026 | 3rd T20I | Taunton, Cooper Associates County Ground | England Women vs India Women | 11:00 PM |
