A brilliant five-wicket haul from Deepti Sharma, combined with a fluent half-century from Smriti Mandhana, guided India to a commanding 64-run victory over Pakistan in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Chasing 171, Pakistan were bowled out for 106 in 17 overs, as India’s disciplined bowling attack staged a strong comeback after a steady start from the opposition.
Pakistan’s innings began with some early promise as the opening pair added 38 runs with a few confident boundaries. However, the momentum did not last long as Gull Feroza was dismissed for 12, followed shortly by Ayesha Zafar who also scored 12 runs. The early breakthroughs put Pakistan under pressure at the top of the order.
Despite the setbacks, Muneeba Ali held one end together and played a fighting knock of 41 runs off 35 balls. She tried to steady the innings and build partnerships, but lacked support from the other end as India’s bowlers maintained tight control.
The situation worsened quickly when Shree Charani struck to remove Saira Jabeen for just 2 runs, leaving Pakistan struggling at 58 for 3 in eight overs. Muneeba then partnered with Natalia Pervaiz in a brief 17-run stand, offering some resistance, but India continued to apply pressure with consistent wickets.
Pakistan’s innings fell apart in the middle overs as they crashed from 75 for 4 to 91 for 7, losing wickets in quick succession. Eventually, the entire team was dismissed for 106 in 17 overs, unable to recover from the early damage and disciplined Indian bowling.
For India, Deepti Sharma delivered a match-winning performance with the ball, claiming five wickets while conceding only 10 runs. Her exceptional spell dismantled Pakistan’s batting order and ensured a comprehensive win for India in the high-profile encounter.
