India kicked off their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, producing a dominant all-round display to defeat Pakistan by 64 runs on Sunday. A brilliant batting effort, led by Smriti Mandhana, was followed by a sensational bowling performance from Deepti Sharma, as India comfortably secured victory in their opening match of the tournament.
After being put under some early pressure, India recovered strongly to post an impressive total of 170 for 6. Smriti Mandhana was the star with the bat, playing a classy knock of 68 runs from just 44 deliveries. Her innings was filled with elegant stroke play, including nine boundaries and two sixes. She received valuable support from captain Harmanpreet Kaur who contributed 36 runs from 35 balls. Together, the pair added a crucial 91-run partnership for the third wicket after India had slipped to 18 for 2 following the early dismissals of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues.
Smriti Mandhana looked in complete control throughout her innings and brought up her half-century in only 34 balls. She survived a couple of dropped chances as Pakistan’s fielders failed to capitalise on opportunities that could have changed the course of the match. Her footwork against both pace and spin was exceptional, while Harmanpreet Kaur used her experience to keep the scoreboard moving.
Towards the end of the innings, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh provided the perfect finishing touch with a quickfire 34 from just 17 balls. Her aggressive batting, combined with a costly over from left-arm seamer Tasmia Rubab that conceded 23 runs, helped India finish with a challenging total. Pakistan’s standout bowlers were captain Fatima Sana, who claimed 2 for 33, and left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, who finished with figures of 2 for 41.
In reply, Pakistan never truly looked capable of chasing down the target. Apart from Muneeba Ali’s fighting 41 from 35 balls, the batting lineup struggled to build partnerships or maintain momentum. The team was eventually bowled out for 106 in just 17 overs.
The turning point came through the brilliance of Deepti Sharma. Having already contributed to an important 45-run stand with Richa Ghosh, she delivered the career-best bowling performance, taking 5 wickets for only 10 runs in her four-over spell. During this remarkable effort, she also became the highest wicket-taker in the history of Women’s T20 Internationals. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani played a key supporting role with figures of 3 for 21, while Shafali Verma chipped in with a wicket as well.
The Edgbaston surface, which had already hosted two previous matches, offered assistance to the spinners, especially in the second innings. The ball turned and occasionally gripped, making stroke-play difficult. Deepti Sharma exploited these conditions perfectly and proved almost impossible to score against. She also produced one of the best fielding moments of the match with a direct hit that ended Muneeba Ali’s promising innings.
With both bat and ball firing at the right time, India delivered a statement victory and began their Women’s T20 World Cup journey in the best possible manner.
