India survive Bangladesh scare, but Australia now looms large

India Women beat Bangladesh Women by five wickets at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday, June 25, 2026, keeping their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign alive. The win moved India towards a decisive meeting with Australia, while Bangladesh were left to rue missed chances and a total their captain felt was 15 to 20 runs short.

Shafali Verma’s 53 off 34 balls gave India the burst they needed in a chase of 137, but the result was messier than the scorecard suggests. Four dropped catches in the PowerPlay, loose extras and late nerves gave Bangladesh a way back before India closed at 139 for 5 in 16.5 overs.

The Full Story

Bangladesh batted first and reached 136 for 8 from 20 overs, a total built around Juraiya Ferdous’ 33 and Nigar Sultana’s 32. India had a chance to take early control, but the fielding fell apart in the opening overs, with Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav and Nandni Sharma among those who put down chances.

That sloppiness mattered because Ferdous was given three lives by the fifth over. Nandni later held a return catch to remove her, but only after Bangladesh had pushed to 40 in the PowerPlay and forced India to keep chasing the game in the field.

India’s spinners pulled the innings back. Radha Yadav returned 3 for 28, Shree Charani took 2 for 21 and finished with a tight 20th over, while Bangladesh went through stretches where boundaries dried up. Nigar’s burst in the middle briefly threatened to lift the total, but Bangladesh could not accelerate at the death.

The chase began with the sort of power India needed. Shafali was dropped by wicketkeeper Nigar in the first over and punished Bangladesh heavily, helping India race to 63 for 1 in the PowerPlay, their highest PowerPlay score in a Women’s T20 World Cup match. She reached fifty from 29 balls before being stumped in unusual fashion after stepping out of her crease.

India then wobbled. Yastika Bhatia and Richa Ghosh fell, Jemimah Rodrigues survived a run-out mix-up, and Bangladesh’s spinners dragged the chase deeper than India wanted. Rodrigues’ 26 from 15 balls broke the pressure, and Deepti Sharma finished it with a boundary as India won with 19 balls remaining.

Key Figures

Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match for her 53 off 34 balls. She also reached 500 runs in T20 World Cup cricket and, among the 23 batters to pass that mark, has the highest strike rate listed in the supplied match stats at 133.07.

Very happy with the way I batted. Good confidence.

Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s captain, praised the win but made it clear the fielding has to improve before Australia. Her team dropped four catches in the PowerPlay, and she said India had been working on that part of the game.

We’ve worked on our fielding but we dropped catches.

Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh’s captain, saw the match as a missed opportunity. She said Bangladesh created chances with the ball but failed to take them, while also judging the first-innings total to be under par.

We were 15-20 runs short.

Facts & Figures

India 139 for 5 beat Bangladesh 136 for 8 by five wickets, with 19 balls remaining. It was India’s second-highest successful chase in a Women’s T20 World Cup, behind 150 against Pakistan in Cape Town in 2023.

Shafali’s 53 off 34 set the tone, while Jemimah Rodrigues added a quick 26 from 15. For Bangladesh, Juraiya Ferdous made 33 from 31 and Nigar Sultana scored 32 from 27, but the innings did not kick on after the PowerPlay.

With the ball, Radha Yadav’s 3 for 28 was decisive despite her earlier fielding miss. Shree Charani’s 2 for 21 also mattered, especially because her final over gave away only three runs and took two wickets.

What This Means

For India, the result did the immediate job: two points and a live path towards the semifinals. The problem is that the performance raised the same warning signs seen in the loss to South Africa, especially catching and general fielding discipline.

For Australian readers, the hook is obvious. India now turn towards Australia in a match Harmanpreet called a must-win, and India’s messy fielding gives Australia a clear area to target if the game gets tight. At the same time, India’s batting power is real; Shafali changed this match before Bangladesh could settle.

Bangladesh leave Manchester with frustration rather than a collapse story. They stayed in the fight, created chances, and dragged India close to the 17th over. But missed chances against a batter like Shafali are costly, and a total of 136 left little margin for error.

What to Expect

India’s next major assignment is Australia at Lord’s on Sunday, part of a double-header that will help shape the semifinal race. India’s qualification hopes are not completely in their own hands, with South Africa’s remaining results also relevant, but a win over Australia would put serious pressure back on the group.

Bangladesh are also looking towards a final game at Lord’s, with Nigar describing it as a chance to create good memories. Their mathematical chances remain alive, but the Manchester result leaves them needing help elsewhere as well as their own result.