India strengthened their position in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with yet another important win, but the team knows tougher tests lie ahead.
With a crucial match against Australia coming up, the Indian camp would be pleased with the result against Bangladesh, but also know the areas that need to be worked on immediately.
The victory gave India two precious points and also helped them improve their net run-rate in the increasingly intense race for the semifinals.
After being asked to bowl first, India managed to keep Bangladesh under control and restricted them to 136/8 at Old Trafford.
Shafali Verma then powered the chase with an aggressive knock of 53 off just 34 deliveries and set the tone at the top of the order. India controlled most of the innings and finally got over the line with five wickets in hand and over three overs to spare. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was satisfied with the way her side approached the target and admitted that improving the net run rate was one of the objectives going into the game.
‘I think it’s a good win. We were looking for this, and it’s good that we thought we’d finish a bit early, but unfortunately, you know, but still, I think two, three overs were there when we finished the game. So I think that’s a plus point for us,’ Harmanpreet said after the match.
Despite the convincing result, India’s performance in the field left plenty to be desired.
The team dropped a lot of catches during Bangladesh’s innings, which allowed batters to build partnerships and score some valuable runs. It was not the first time fielding mistakes have hurt India during the tournament, making it a major concern ahead of the knockout phase.
Harmanpreet acknowledged that fielding remains one of the biggest areas the team needs to improve before facing stronger opposition.
‘I think a lot of things, but I think fielding is something on which we have been working very hard, but unfortunately, today again, we were not very great with the catches, and hopefully, you know, next game is very important, and I think that is the day to show our best cricket,’ she said.
What made the dropped chances more surprising was the fact that some of them came from players who are usually among India’s most reliable fielders.
However, Harmanpreet chose to back her teammates and stressed that confidence and continuous practice remain the key to overcoming such lapses.
‘Well, that’s true. They are our best fielders, but sometimes situations like that arise. You can’t really control them, but we only talked about it. Keep working hard, keep spending a lot of time on the field, keep catching those balls, so that when we go into the field, we are in a good position.
‘But unfortunately, today again, we fumbled so many balls, but I think the next match is a very important match and I’m sure our best will come on that day,’ she added.
India’s focus now shifts to what could be one of the defining matches of their World Cup campaign.
Sunday’s match against Australia is expected to be a key factor in the race for the semi-finals, with both teams among the strongest contenders in the tournament.
Harmanpreet appeared eager for the challenge and expressed confidence in her side’s ability to raise their game when it matters most.
‘I think one of our favourite opposition and hopefully our best come on that day,’ she said.
With momentum on their side but fielding still a concern, India will hope to deliver a more complete performance when they take on Australia in a high-stakes World Cup showdown.