Preparations are done; now it’s time to put them to the test. The India women’s cricket team has played the last of their two warm-up matches before the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. Two contrasting games: one where they batted first and were ahead in the match, and the other where they batted second and were behind. There were plenty of positive and negative takeaways from these clashes.
Why didn’t Deepti Sharma play?
To begin with, Deepti Sharma‘s absence from both matches was a bit odd. She is one of the world’s finest WT20I bowlers and all-rounders. But her recent form hasn’t been great. In the 3-match series against England, Deepti took just 1 wicket and went at 10.19 runs per over.
One wonders what resting her against the West Indies and England in the warm-up games means. Does the management want to rest her, or does this mean she isn’t in the best XI anymore? Shreyanka Patil, another off-spinner, played in both matches and took 6 wickets while going at 6.12 runs per over. Will Shreyanka play ahead of Deepti despite her being an out-and-out bowler?
Smriti Mandhana’s lack of runs
Smriti Mandhana hasn’t been great post that Australia tour. Including the warm-up, practice, and international games, the southpaw opener hasn’t crossed the 40-run mark in her last 9 T20 matches. She has scored 102 runs against England and South Africa since April. Even in the warm-ups, she wasn’t that exceptional. Her form might become a worry.
Richa Ghosh finds form
Like Mandhana, Richa Ghosh wasn’t in great touch. But in the England warm-up matches, the wicketkeeper came good. Her 68 off 36 was the only positive in the batting department, with no other Indian batter crossing the 20-run mark.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s workload management
Injuries could be a concern for Harmanpreet Kaur. She missed the West Indies warm-up and one match in the England series to manage her workload. Moreover, skipping games robs one of rhythm. Her flow wasn’t great in the last warm-up against England, as she scored 17 off 18.
Bharti Fulmali must play
Bhari Fulmali might be the missing piece of the puzzle. A Women’s Premier League (WPL) strike rate of 149.76 shows what the 31-year-old can do. She must be the bridge between Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet and Richa. She can consolidate and be the finisher. Without her, the team might miss out on the intent and fearless nature required to win a Women’s T20 World Cup trophy.
Overall bowling issues
Apart from Deepti, Arundhati Reddy or Nandini Sharma didn’t play the two warm-ups either. For the former, it’s clear that she’s been given rest since she’ll start for India. For the latter, it seems like the opposite. Surprisingly, Shafali Verma opened the bowling in both games.
The two new-ball bowlers, Renuka Singh Thakur and Kranti Gaud, struggled. Between them, they had 1 wicket in 15 overs. Not great signs. Renuka has a good record in England and might play alongside Reddy, but she doesn’t look like her old self. Radha Yadav also impressed, but at this moment, doesn’t look like she can fit into the team.
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