India started their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with this pretty impressive 64-run win vs Pakistan, in Birmingham. The whole thing also sort of kept the momentum going for India, because they’ve had a strong record against Pakistan in World Cup matches, so it gave the squad an early lift there in Group 1.

There was a solid batting show from Smriti Mandhana along with a match-winning bowling spell from Deepti Sharma, and that combo basically carried the day. Pakistan looked decent early in the chase but they couldn’t hold that pace, wickets kept dropping at regular intervals. 

Strong Start for India in a High-Profile Contest

• After the toss, India decided to bat. The innings… yeah, it didn’t really go smooth from the start, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues went back early. India slid to 18 for 2 and the opening overs felt like constant pressure.
• Still, the more experienced heads came through right when things needed fixing. Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur stitched things together and put down a stable base for a respectable total.
• In the end India finished 170 for 6 in 20 overs, and that score just felt out of reach for Pakistan.

Smriti Mandhana Leads India’s Recovery

Early Setbacks After the Toss

India lost two wickets fairly quickly, and Pakistan’s bowlers really used the new ball well. They kept applying pressure, and it made the batting side work for every run.

But then Smriti Mandhana came in and answered it with a calm, composed innings. She kept the strike rotating, took advantage of anything loose, and her timing plus shot choices brought things back into India’s control.

Partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur

Mandhana and Harmanpreet then added meaningful runs during the middle overs. Harmanpreet took a bit to settle in, but Mandhana kept the scoreboard ticking, mixing boundaries with those aggressive strokes.

Mandhana made 68 runs off 44 balls, with nine fours, and two sixes in the mix. Harmanpreet added 36 from 35 deliveries. That stand helped India step over the 100-run line, and honestly it also gave them the base for a pretty strong finish too.

Richa Ghosh was the one who leaned into the finish

Late surge in those last overs

After Mandhana and Harmanpreet got out, India’s scoring rate sort of slowed down, for a little while. At that point, getting to a really big total felt a bit unsure, like it could slip.

Then Richa Ghosh came in and flipped the momentum with an aggressive spell of batting. She went at the Pakistan bowlers, and still managed to find boundaries, again and again, during the closing stages.

India end up with a target that bites

Richa finished with 34 runs, off just 17 balls. She struck five fours, and one six. That intent completely changed how the final overs played out.

India also piled on 38 runs in the last two overs alone. That late burst carried the total to 170 for 6, and suddenly Pakistan were under pressure right away.

Pakistan stumble in the chase

A bright start from Muneeba Ali

Pakistan chased with real confidence at first. Their openers, Muneeba Ali and Feroza, set a steady tone and reached 37 without loss after four overs.

Muneeba played a stack of neat shots, and looked like she could actually lead the chase. but, she did not get to the end, and in the end she top-scored for Pakistan with 41 runs from 35 balls.

Wickets, the kind that break the rhythm

The turning point landed when Deepti Sharma dismissed Feroza in the fifth over. After that, Pakistan had trouble stringing things together, and partnerships kind of kept failing.

Wickets kept falling at regular intervals. With the required run rate rising, India’s spinners squeezed the game tighter and tighter.

In the end, Pakistan were all out for 106 in 17 overs. They lost their last seven wickets for only 31 runs, and the chase sort of unraveled from there.

Deepti Sharma and Sreecharani Take Control

Match winniNg bowling shows up

India’s spin attack really did the heavy lifting. Deepti Sharma put in one of those standout spells, 5 for 10 from just four overs, and you could feel the pressure shift early.

She kept striking at the right moments all the way through the innings and then wrapped things up by taking three wickets in the 17th over. Sreecharani then came in and gave strong support, posting 3 for 21. Between the two of them, Pakistan’s middle plus lower order kind of fell apart, no real traction after that.

Shafali Verma also chipped in with a wicket, and India ended up sailing to a comprehensive victory. It was one of those results that feels controlled, not rushed.

Deepti Sets a New T20 Wicket Record

For Deepti this match carried extra importance. That five-wicket haul pushed her women’s T20 wicket count to 166, which is a career milestone in itself.

That number meant she moved ahead of Thailand’s Boochatham, who had set the previous mark with 165 wickets. So basically, not only did she win the game, she also crossed a record line that really mattered. Deepti was named Player of the Match, deservedly, for the impact she had.

What the Result Means for Group 1

India get early momentum

This win gives India a solid start in Group 1 and it also lifts their net run rate. The way they won, comfortably , adds confidence too, especially with the next fixtures coming up.

They showed they’ve got depth both with the bat and with the ball, which is a good omen for the rest of the tournament, even if the schedule gets trickier.

Next fixtures for both teams

India will now play the Netherlands in their next match on Wednesday. Pakistan will want to bounce back fast and keep their qualification chances alive during the group stage, because every point starts to feel sharper after this.

Other results from the Women’s T20 World Cup

Bangladesh beat the Netherlands

Bangladesh recorded their first win of the tournament , beating the Netherlands by six wickets.

The Dutch side racked up 139 for 8, and Babette de Leede made 50. Bangladesh’s bowlers did split the load pretty well, with Marufa Akter taking the lead.

Then, Bangladesh’s chase started with Fargana Hoque scoring 50, and Sharmin Akhter stayed  unbeaten on 37, sort of holding it together. They got to the line with five balls still left over.

West Indies upset defending champions New Zealand 

• West Indies pulled off one of the tournament’s early surprises by beating the defending champions, New Zealand, by seven wickets.
• New Zealand put up 162 for 6, with key help from Brooke Halliday, Isabella Gaze, and Maddy Green.  
• In response, West Indies finished it off because Shemaine Campbelle stayed unbeaten on 90 , and that was a big difference. Hayley Matthews chipped in with 48, which helped them seal a really important win.