The warm-ups for the upcoming T20 Women’s World Cup have already started. India started their preparation with a warm-up match against the West Indies. The match was held on 8th June, 2026 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
The West Indies won the toss and elected to field first, putting India into bat. The start of the match was delayed due to a wet outfield, but fortunately no overs were lost.
As Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana walked out to bat, they gave India a great start. At the end of the powerplay, India was 70/1. The openers, along with Yastika Bhatia and Bharti Fulmali, anchored the score.
Mandhana (39) and Verma (29) had a 59-run opening partnership (32), giving a stable start to the match. Bhatia and Fulmali anchored the innings after India were 83/5. They both had a partnership of 60(42), taking the score from 85/3 to 145/4.
However, West Indies were not to be kept out of the game. Afy Fletcher, the leggie, took 4 wickets for 23 runs, at an economy rate of 5.75. She picked prized scalps of Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, followed by Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil.
Aaliyah Alleyne had the second-best figures besides Fletcher. 1/17 with an economy rate of 8.50. India posted a total of 179/6, thanks to the efforts of Bharti Fulmali, who stayed till the end, scoring 56* off 40 balls (4×6, 1×6).
With 180 to chase, West Indies didn’t look as settled as India from the beginning. Shafali Verma opened the bowling, giving away just 6 runs in the first over. West Indies did not have proper partnerships like India did. They had one substantial partnership between openers Deandra Dottin (49 off 44) and Shemaine Campbelle of 66(57), after which they couldn’t build a solid foundation.
With Campbelle (25) being retired in the 9th over, it didn’t help their cause. Shawnisha Hector (19*) and Janniella Glasgow (19) had a brief partnership of 31(17) at the end, but it was in vain. The Indian bowlers did their job perfectly as they didn’t allow West Indies to catch up with the run rate. Radha Yadav, with three wickets in an over, finishing with 3/25 and Shreyanka Patil with 4/36 dismantled the batting order as both went on a rampage.
Patil got the first breakthrough during the 11th over, when she dismissed Claxton and Joseph. After that double strike, West Indies went from 81/3 (11th over) to 103/6 in the 14th over, as Radha dismissed Dottin, Alleyne, and Chinelle Henry. After the 14th over, they couldn’t get themselves back in the game.
India won the match by 26 runs. The standout performances by Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and Bharti Fulmali put India at the top. The match should give India plenty of positives going into the tournament, while West Indies have a lot to reflect on.
West Indies will face New Zealand on the 13th of June, 2026 as they begin their World Cup journey. India will begin their campaign against Pakistan on the 14th of June, 2026.
