India began their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in style with a commanding 64-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston. A record crowd of 18,814 witnessed another memorable India-Pakistan contest as the Indian team delivered a complete performance.
After winning the toss and batting first, India posted 170/6 in 20 overs. Opener Smriti Mandhana led the charge with a brilliant 68-run knock, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur added valuable 36 runs. Richa Ghosh provided late fireworks with a quick 34 off 17 balls to push India to a strong total.
Chasing 171, Pakistan started positively but struggled against India’s spin attack. Deepti Sharma turned the match around with a sensational five-wicket haul, finishing with career-best T20I figures of 5/10. Sree Charani also impressed with three wickets as Pakistan were bowled out for 106 in 17 overs.
For Pakistan, Muneeba Ali fought hard with 41 runs, but the team failed to maintain momentum after losing regular wickets.
The victory marked a strong start for India in Group A, while Deepti Sharma’s brilliant spell became the highlight of another intense chapter in the historic India-Pakistan cricket rivalry. India will next face the Netherlands at Headingley.
