India entered the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with momentum already on their side. Unlike teams such as Pakistan, who qualified through ICC rankings, or Scotland and the Netherlands, who came through the global qualifiers, India secured direct qualification based on their performance at the previous Women’s T20 World Cup. That gave Harmanpreet Kaur’s side the freedom to focus entirely on preparation during the 2025-26 season.
The build-up began with a landmark tour of England in June and July 2025, where India scripted history by winning their first-ever women’s T20I series in England. The 3-2 triumph became one of the defining moments of India’s preparation, especially with the World Cup also set to be played in English conditions. India opened the series in stunning fashion at Nottingham, where Smriti Mandhana smashed a sensational 112 off 62 balls as India posted 210/5 before bowling England out for 113 to seal a massive 97-run win.
India followed that up with another strong performance in Bristol. Amanjot Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues rescued India from a shaky start and Richa Ghosh finished strongly to take India to 181/4. England responded better with the bat but still managed only 157/7 as India moved 2-0 ahead in the series. England fought back at The Oval, but India sealed the series in Manchester after restricting the hosts to 126 and completing a composed chase. Even though England won the final game in Birmingham, India returned home with a historic overseas series victory.
The England tour also saw the emergence of left-arm spinner N Sree Charani as a major option ahead of the World Cup. Playing her first big overseas series, Charani picked up 10 wickets at an average of 14.80 and consistently troubled England’s middle order with her variations and control. Alongside Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav, she strengthened an already balanced bowling attack.
India carried that momentum into the home series against Sri Lanka in December 2025 and completed a dominant 5-0 whitewash. The opening games in Visakhapatnam were comfortable wins before India shifted gears in Thiruvananthapuram. Shafali Verma finished as the leading run-scorer of the series with 241 runs, while Harmanpreet Kaur added 130 runs at an average of 65. The fourth T20I best reflected India’s attacking approach, with the hosts piling up 221/2 before restricting Sri Lanka to 191/6.
The next major challenge came in Australia in February 2026, where India secured an impressive 2-1 series victory away from home. The opening T20I in Sydney was especially significant. Against one of the most explosive batting line-ups in women’s cricket and in home conditions, India bowled Australia out for just 133.
Arundhati Reddy starred with the ball, producing superb figures of 4/22 as India controlled the innings throughout. Rain later reduced India’s chase, but the visitors comfortably secured the win through the DLS method. Australia levelled the series in Canberra, but India responded brilliantly in Adelaide by defending 176 and restricting Australia to 159 to clinch another major overseas series triumph.
India’s final assignment before the World Cup came in South Africa in April 2026. Although India lost the five-match T20I series 4-1, the tour still offered valuable lessons. India’s batting line-up repeatedly managed to put up competitive totals and showed attacking intent, but the bowlers struggled to defend scores consistently against South Africa’s powerful batting unit in difficult conditions.
Having secured direct qualification well in advance, India used the entire cycle to build combinations, strengthen their bowling depth and sharpen their aggressive batting approach. As the World Cup begins, they will be aiming to carry that momentum into the tournament and finally convert years of promise into a maiden women’s T20 world title.
India squad for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, N Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav
India’s fixtures at ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026:
14 June 2026: vs Pakistan
17 June 2026: vs Netherlands
21 June 2026: vs South Africa
25 June 2026: vs Bangladesh
28 June 2026: vs Australia
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