India kicked off their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a bang, beating Pakistan by a whopping 64 runs at Edgbaston. The energy was electric right from the toss—India chose to bat, and their top order didn’t disappoint. Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Richa Ghosh stepped up, putting 170 runs on the board.
On the bowling front, India kept things tight. They never let Pakistan get into the game, holding them to just 106 runs. It was a convincing win, one that sent a message early in the tournament.
After the match, captain Harmanpreet Kaur was full of praise for both her teammates and the fans. She said, “Honestly, I’m really happy, and first, I want to thank all the Indian fans. They’ve been fantastic, always behind us. Smriti and Deepti really stepped up when we needed them, and I’m delighted with the way both of them played.”
She didn’t just stop there. Harmanpreet also talked about the pitch and how things played out. “The pitch was decent, but at first, we probably put some pressure on ourselves. Once Smriti and I settled, we could control things a lot better. And about Richa’s batting? If I could, I’d send her in right at the start! She’s got a job to do, and she’s doing it well. I’m really happy with how she played,” said Harmanpreet.
Looking ahead, India’s next game is against the Netherlands at Headingley in Leeds on June 17. With their winning momentum, they’ll be eager to keep the streak going.
