Manchester: Radha Yadav’s 3-wicket haul, followed by Shafali Verma’s magnificent half-century, powered India to a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the 23rd match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana’s decision to bat first backfired as the Tigers managed to amass 136/8 in their 20 overs.
Right-handed opener Juwairiya Ferdows was the top scorer for Bangladesh with a cautious 33 off 31 balls, followed by captain Sultana’s 32 off 27 balls with the help of 4 fours.
Apart from them, Shobana Mostari (22), Shorna Akhtar (13) and Sharmin Akhtar (10) could score double figures against the Yadav-led Indian bowling attack, who took 3 for 28 in his four overs.
Sri Sarani supported Yadav with 2 for 21 in his four overs, while Renuka Singh and Nandani Sharma chipped in with a scalp each.
In reply, India chased down a target of 137 runs to win with 5 wickets and 19 balls to spare. Courtesy of Shafali.
A right-handed opener, he scored 53 runs off 34 balls with 8 fours and a six, which earned him the man of the match award.
She was amply supported by fellow top-order batsman Yastika Bhatia, who scored 23 off 18 balls, while Jemima Rodriguez scored 26 off 15 balls.
Among Bangladesh’s bowlers, Ritu Moni took 2 for 29 in her four overs, while Nahida Akhtar, Rabeya Khan and Marufa Akhtar claimed a wicket each.
The five-wicket win boosted India’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup and lifted them to second place in the Group 1 standings with six points, beating South Africa but two down with a game in hand.
India next face Australia in Sunday’s group stage match, which they need to win as South Africa have two remaining matches against the Netherlands and Bangladesh respectively.