A superb five-wicket haul from Deepti Sharma, mixed with a fluent half-century from Smriti Mandhana, guided India to a commanding 64-run victory over Pakistan of their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Chasing 171, Pakistan had been bowled out for 106 in 17 overs, as India’s disciplined bowling assault staged a robust comeback after a gradual begin from the opposition.
Pakistan’s innings started with some early promise because the opening pair added 38 runs with just a few assured boundaries. Nonetheless, the momentum didn’t final lengthy as Gull Feroza was dismissed for 12, adopted shortly by Ayesha Zafar who additionally scored 12 runs. The early breakthroughs put Pakistan below strain on the prime of the order.
Regardless of the setbacks, Muneeba Ali held one finish collectively and performed a preventing knock of 41 runs off 35 balls. She tried to regular the innings and construct partnerships, however lacked help from the opposite finish as India’s bowlers maintained tight management.
The state of affairs worsened rapidly when Shree Charani struck to take away Saira Jabeen for simply 2 runs, leaving Pakistan struggling at 58 for 3 in eight overs. Muneeba then partnered with Natalia Pervaiz in a short 17-run stand, providing some resistance, however India continued to use strain with constant wickets.
Pakistan’s innings fell aside within the center overs as they crashed from 75 for 4 to 91 for 7, dropping wickets in fast succession. Ultimately, the complete group was dismissed for 106 in 17 overs, unable to get well from the early harm and disciplined Indian bowling.
For India, Deepti Sharma delivered a match-winning efficiency with the ball, claiming 5 wickets whereas conceding solely 10 runs. Her distinctive spell dismantled Pakistan’s batting order and ensured a complete win for India within the high-profile encounter.
