India defeated Pakistan by 64 runs on 14 June 2026 to start their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. This Group A clash saw India score 170 runs by losing six wickets in their first innings. They bowled out Pakistan for 106 runs in just 17 runs.
Earlier that day, Bangladesh secured a six-wicket victory against the Netherlands at the same venue. India and Bangladesh are now sitting alongside Australia at the top of the Group A points table.
India Dominates Pakistan in Record-Breaking Opening Match
India secured a win all thanks to Deepti Sharma’s historic bowling and an impressive batting performance. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch that helped the batters. India lost Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues early and came back to post an imposing total.
Smriti Mandhana anchored the Indian innings with a classy 68 runs from 44 balls. She hit nine fours and two sixes during her time at the crease. However, Pakistan’s fielders struggled and dropped Mandhana twice when she was on 27 and 61 runs. Mandhana shared a crucial 91-run partnership for the third wicket with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who contributed 36 runs.
Meanwhile, Richa Ghosh provided an explosive finish to the Indian innings. She smashed 34 runs from just 17 deliveries, hitting at a strike rate of 200. Ghosh and Deepti Sharma added 38 runs in the final two overs to propel India to 170-6, their highest score against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup.
Deepti Sharma Shatters Records with Five-Wicket Haul
Deepti Sharma produced a career-best bowling performance to dismantle the Pakistani batting lineup. She took 5 wickets for only 10 runs from her four overs. Consequently, she became the highest wicket-taker in Women’s Twenty20 International history, reaching a total of 166 wickets.
Pakistan’s chase began positively as Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza put on a 38-run opening stand. Sharma broke the opening partnership by dismissing Feroza for 12 runs. She later ran out Muneeba Ali for 41 with a direct hit from backward point.
Pakistan’s middle order collapsed rapidly under pressure from the Indian bowlers. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani supported Sharma by taking 3 wickets for 21 runs. Pakistan lost their final seven wickets for only 31 runs as they were bundled out for 106. This 64-run victory is India’s largest-ever win against Pakistan in terms of runs.
Edgbaston Sets New Attendance Record for Women’s Cricket
The match at Edgbaston made history off the field by setting a new attendance record for the Women’s T20 World Cup. A sell-out crowd of 18,814 spectators watched the game in Birmingham. This performance surpassed the previous record of 15,935 for an India-Pakistan game in Dubai in 2024.
The match also saw the “no-handshake” policy imposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) continue. The Indian players greeted their opponents with polite nods and the traditional ‘Namaste’ gesture, rather than handshakes. The policy has been in place for nine months, amid political tensions between the two nations.
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Bangladesh Secures Historic Win Over Netherlands
In the earlier Match 5 on 14 June, Bangladesh defeated tournament debutants Netherlands by six wickets. Bangladesh successfully chased a target of 140, finishing at 141 runs by losing 4 wickets and five balls to spare. This victory marked Bangladesh’s highest successful run chase in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
Netherlands captain Babette de Leede won the toss and elected to bat first. She scored 50 runs from 45 balls. Despite her efforts, Bangladesh’s bowlers remained disciplined and restricted the Netherlands to 139-8. Marufa Akter was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, taking 2 wickets for 31 runs.
Bangladesh’s response was led by 20-year-old opener Juairiya Ferdous. She struck a blistering 50 runs from just 33 balls, including seven fours and two sixes. Ferdous received the Player of the Match.
Although Bangladesh lost 4 wickets with 85 runs, they recovered through a solid partnership. Sharmin Akhter scored 37 not out and Shorna Akter added an unbeaten 18 to guide their team to victory. Caroline de Lange was the most successful bowler for the Netherlands, taking 2 wickets for 27 runs.
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Tournament Standings and Next Fixtures
Australia stands in first position having a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +3.250. India holds second place with an NRR of +3.200, while Bangladesh sits in third with +0.407.
The Netherlands, Pakistan, and South Africa occupy the bottom three spots in Group A after losing their opening matches. Each team in the group stage plays five matches in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals.
India will next face the Netherlands on 17 June at Headingley in Leeds. Meanwhile, Pakistan will attempt to bounce back against South Africa on the same day at Edgbaston. Bangladesh is scheduled to play Australia later in the week.
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