India and the Netherlands cross paths in a Group 1 fixture where both teams are desperate to build on their contrasting starts to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. India is currently flying high in second place with 2 points and a highly healthy NRR of +3.200, missing the top spot by a whisker after Smriti Mandhana’s classy 68 and Deepti Sharma’s ruthless 5-wicket haul dismantled Pakistan. Conversely, the Netherlands find themselves in fourth place with 0 points and a negative NRR of -0.407, meaning they need a quick bounce-back despite fighting individual efforts from Babette de Leede and Caroline de Lange.
Squads:
India Women’s Cricket Team
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav
Netherlands Women’s Cricket Team
Babette de Leede (C), Caroline de Lange, Frédérique Overdijk, Hannah Landheer, Heather Siegers, Iris Zwilling, Isabel van der Woning, Lara Leemhuis, Myrthe van den Raad, Phebe Molkenboer, Robine Rijke, Rosalie Lawrence, Sanya Khurana, Silver Siegers, Sterre Kalis
Players to watch out:
Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana showed class and composure at the crease for India, anchoring the innings with a beautifully constructed 68 runs off 44 balls against Pakistan. Striking at a healthy rate of 154.54, she dictated the pace of the game by smashing 9 fours and clearing the ropes twice. Her lone outing left her with a stellar average of 68.00, reinforcing her reputation as a world-class top-order batter.
Babette de Leede
Babette de Leede fought hard for the Netherlands, scoring a highly responsible 50 runs off 45 deliveries to anchor her side against Bangladesh. She kept her composure under pressure, hitting 5 boundaries and maintaining a strike rate of 111.11 throughout her stay. Walking away with a good score, her performance showed great discipline against a testing bowling attack.
Deepti Sharma
Deepti Sharma delivered a masterclass in defensive spin bowling for India, spinning a web across her full allotment of 4 overs. She completely dismantled Pakistan by picking up a remarkable 5-wicket haul, finishing with staggering figures of 5/10. Conceding just 10 runs meant she maintained a microscopic economy rate of 2.50, ensuring an unrivaled average of 2.00 for the match.
Caroline de Lange
Caroline de Lange was a key weapon for the Netherlands, completing her full 4 overs and delivering 24 highly active deliveries. She put in a solid shift to secure 2 wickets for 27 runs, ending the Bangladesh match with personal best figures of 2/27. Holding an economy rate of 6.75 and an average of 13.50, she played a vital role in restricting the opposition’s scoring opportunities.
Pitch:
Headingley is traditionally known for offering excellent assistance to seamers, especially under tomorrow’s expected cloud cover. With overhead conditions remaining mostly overcast, expect plenty of early swing and lateral movement off the deck. It is a surface where disciplined bowler lengths will reap rewards, though batters can score heavily once the initial shine of the ball wears off.
Weather:
The forecast in Leeds calls for mostly cloudy skies during the day, transitioning to partly cloudy at night. The high temperature will reach exactly 22°C, dipping to a low of 13°C. There is a small 15% chance of rain during the day and a 10% chance at night, with a 11 mph breeze blowing from the west.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Babette de Leede, Caroline de Lange, Robine Rijke, Silver Siegers, Sterre Kalis
Match Details:
Date – June 17, 2026
Time – 7:00 PM IST
Venue – Headingley, Leeds
Broadcast – Star Sports & JioHotstar
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