T20 World Cup Warm-Up Win, But Team India Faces a Big Worry as Star Batter's Poor Form Continues
Ahead of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, Team India registered a comfortable victory in its warm-up match against the West Indies. However, despite the convincing win, the team management has been left concerned by the continued poor form of one of its key batters.
The tournament gets underway in England on June 12, while India will begin its campaign against Pakistan on June 14.
Batting first, India posted 179/8 on the board. There were several positives for the side, with opening duo Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma putting together a brisk 59-run partnership in just 5.2 overs. Yastika Bhatia and Bharti Phoolmali also played valuable knocks in the middle order.
However, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh's struggles continued. Coming in to bat during the 16th over, Richa was dismissed for a first-ball duck. It marked her fourth consecutive disappointing outing with the bat. During the recent T20 series against England, she managed scores of 4, 8, and 6 not out.
Richa is considered one of India's most important finishers, capable of changing matches with her aggressive batting in the final overs. Her lack of runs heading into a major tournament has become a concern for the team.
If the slump continues during the World Cup, India's hopes of lifting the trophy could take a significant hit.On the bowling front, India looked sharp. The spinners played a crucial role in defending the total and keeping the West Indies batters under pressure throughout the chase. Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil starred with four wickets for 36 runs, while left-arm spinner Radha Yadav claimed three wickets for 25 runs.
The West Indies were restricted to 153 runs, handing India a comfortable 26-run victory.