With the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup kicking off in England next month, India Women defeated England Women by 38 runs in the 1st T20I at the County Ground in Chelmsford to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
India posted a formidable 188 for 7 in their 20 overs, driven by aggressive half-centuries from Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues as the English bowling attack struggled with discipline, notably when Issy Wong leaked 27 runs in a single over that included 11 wides.
The innings was anchored by a fast 126-run partnership between Rodrigues, who scored 69 off 40 balls with 10 fours and a six, and Bhatia, who hit 54 off 31 balls. Bhatia’s performance marked her return to international cricket after a severe ACL surgery forced her to miss the 2025 ODI World Cup.
England failed to keep pace and finished restricted to 150 for 8 in their 20 overs. Amy Jones provided a late surge by scoring an aggressive 67 off 32 balls after moving up the batting order, but the hosts lost their final six wickets for just 43 runs.
The run chase was permanently derailed by 24-year-old Chandigarh native Nandani Sharma, who earned her international call-up following a dominant 17-wicket season for the Delhi Capitals in the 2026 Women’s Premier League. The debutant fast bowler claimed three wickets in the space of five balls to shut down the English middle order.
Smriti Mandhana stepped in to captain the Indian side for the series opener. Speaking at the toss, Mandhana addressed regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s absence to shut down injury speculation. “She’s resting today, no concerns at all. She’ll be ready for the next match,” Mandhana said.