Birmingham: An off-spin masterclass by Deepti Sharma helped India to a morale-boosting 64-run win over Pakistan in Birmingham in their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener.
After Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh’s batting heroics helped India to a competitive 170/6, Sharma claimed a five-wicket haul to dismiss Pakistan for 106 in 17 overs.
Sharma’s 5/10 against Pakistan are the best bowling figures in a women’s T20I. During the match, she also became the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, taking her tally to 166.
It was a frantic start for India, who elected to bat first. Shafali Verma launched the innings with a big hit over the long-off boundary. But the team was guilty of going for too much too soon.
Verma fell in the first over, as she edged a Sadia Iqbal delivery to wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali. India slipped to 18/2 after Jemimah Rodrigues ended up skying the ball while attempting to sweep Tasmia Rubab.
With the chips down, two of India’s stalwarts, Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur came to the rescue. While Mandhana had already found her rhythm, punishing every ball even fractionally straying down the leg side, the captain used the safety-first approach.
After a watchful start, India shifted gears in the 11th over, accumulating 30 runs in two overs. Both Kaur and Mandhana used their feet well against the spinners and stitched a 91-run partnership for the third wicket.
Mandhana was dropped twice and the southpaw made Pakistan pay as she struck nine fours and two sixes. During the innings of 68 off 44, Mandhana carved out some delectable inside-out drives and mixed in some power hits.
Captain Fatima Sana finally held on to a catch at the boundary after another lofted drive from Mandhana, off Rameen Shamim, to get a toe in the door. With Bharti Fulmali and Kaur following in quick succession, India went from 109/3 to 123/5.
Ghosh proved she is one of the best finishers in the world as she notched 34 in just 17 balls. In the 19th over, she got stuck into Tasmia Rubab, hitting three fours and a six to help India score 23 runs. Ghosh and Deepti Sharma’s (12) late heroics took India to 170.
For most part, Pakistan had been able to restrain the Indian batters, but the bursts of acceleration took the game away. Their leading bowlers, Sana and Iqbal, finished with two wickets each.
Chasing a big total, openers Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza began positively, putting on 38 runs for the first wicket.
But Sharma’s introduction in the fifth over was the beginning of the end for Pakistan. The off-spinner struck in the very first over. Feroza attempted a reverse sweep off her, but ended up lofting the ball straight to Fulmali at backward point. In the next over, she sent back Ayesha Zafar, who was playing her first T20 World Cup game in eight years.
It was the Indian spinners who did most of the damage, taking nine wickets on the day and starving Pakistan of runs. Sree Charani claimed 3/21 while Verma contributed with the wicket of Sana.
For Pakistan, the only bright spot was a well-paced 41 off 35 by Muneeba Ali. Sharma was the one who ended her run as well, nailing a direct hit to run her out to trigger a Pakistan collapse from 75/4 to 106 all out.
Fittingly, it was Sharma who put the finishing touches on the Indian victory. Her clever changes of pace had set the template for Indian spinners. And she cleaned up the Pakistan lower order, claiming three wickets in the 17th over to end the Pakistan challenge.
Brief Scorecard –
IND : 170-6 (20)
PAK : 106 (17)
Result : India won by 64 runs.
