India will begin their 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup journey against Pakistan on Sunday, June 14, at Edgbaston. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur highlighted the importance of finding the right team combination before the tournament starts.
In her record tenth T20 World Cup appearance, she noted that the middle overs are critical in T20 matches, making it essential to have players who can perform well during those times. She acknowledged that the team faces pressure coming into the tournament, especially after winning the last ICC event, the 2025 ODI World Cup.
“As a team, playing as many matches as possible is key. We need to give all players a chance and then choose our best XI. While the Powerplay and final overs draw attention, the middle overs really dictate the game. Identifying players who can manage pressure in that phase is crucial. There’s pressure on us to meet the standard we’ve set after winning the World Cup, and everyone will be watching closely,” Harmanpreet said during an interview on JioStar.
Vice-captain and opener Smriti Mandhana expressed her excitement for the World Cup, stating that the team is eager to win the title. She mentioned her focus as an opener is to utilize the powerplay effectively and manage her innings. With strong batters like Harmanpreet, Shafali Verma, and Richa Ghosh in the lineup, she can adapt her style as needed.
“This team is really hungry. Everyone is determined to perform well, and we aim to keep our form for the T20 World Cup. My main shift has been maximizing the Powerplay and knowing how to pace my innings from overs 6 to 10. My goal is to adapt my role as needed, whether to stabilize the innings or attack. With power-hitters like Shafali, Richa, and Harman following me, we have plenty of options,” Mandhana shared.
Motivation After Winning: Jemimah Rodrigues
India enters this tournament with a significant achievement, having won the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2025—their first major trophy in women’s Cricket. Batter Jemimah Rodrigues pointed out that this victory motivates the team to pursue additional titles. She talked about her new mindset towards taking risks and applying pressure on bowlers during matches.
“Winning the World Cup has driven us to aim even higher. It might sound intense, but winning one title creates a desire for more. It inspires us to perform better,” Jemimah explained.
“For me, shifting to a risk-taking attitude is critical. In T20 cricket, I need to be strategic about when to take those risks and how to pressure the bowlers. That will be my focus,” she added.