In what are warning signs for India ahead of the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma’s tepid form continued. The two were dismissed cheaply during India’s last warm-up fixture ahead of the T20 showpiece in England.ย
Both Mandhana and Shafali fell early in the 172-run target against the English side in the warm-up fixture at the Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Mandhana was removed for one she played a loose sweep to be caught at square leg off Linsey Smith. Shafali hit a four and a six to get going, but departed soon on 13 afterย Issy Wong bottled her slog to clean her off-stump.
This continued the hot and cold run of the two openers. The two have put up 50 runs for the opening wicket on only two of the last 10 T20Is. They had put up a 59-run stand for the opening wicket during the previous warm-up outing against the West Indies, but tallied only eight runs during the England practice game.ย
Mandhana’s hot and cold form continues
Mandhana has not been at her best of late. She has not made a single fifty-plus score in her last nine T20 innings, with three single-digit scores in them and three 30-plus outings. She made a quick 39 in the Windies warm-up but fell for just one against England. Her form has coincided with India losing their last two T20I assignments – one to South Africa and the latest one to England. She has not hit a single half-century in either of those series.
Shafali’s form also raises concerns
Things have not been going well for Shafali recently, either. She was in fine form in the initial matches against South Africa in India’s 1-4 loss, but she seems to have lost steam since then. The Haryana opener has crossed 30 in only one of the last eight outings, and that was a fifty against ECB Women’s XI in Chelmsford at the end of May.
India placed in tough group in T20 World Cup
India have been placed in a group that features the mighty Australia and twin T20 finalists South Africa. Minnows Bangladesh, Pakistan, and debutants Netherlands can’t be called pushovers either, as the format does not give teams much of a chance to bounce back once down.ย India open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 in Birmingham before a trip to Headingley for their Netherlands game on June 17. The caravan will then move to Manchester to face South Africa and Bangladesh on June 21 and 25 before their final league stage outing against the mighty Australians at Lord’s on June 28.
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