Shafali Verma Powers India to Dominant Five-Wicket Win Over Bangladesh in Women’s T20 World Cup

Manchester, June 2026 : Opener Shafali Verma produced a dazzling batting display as India registered a commanding five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Match 23 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Thursday. Chasing a target of 137, India reached 139/5 in just 16.5 overs, sealing the win with 19 balls to spare and strengthening their position in the tournament.

The chase was driven by an explosive innings from Shafali, who once again showcased her fearless approach at the top of the order. From the very first over, she attacked Bangladesh’s bowlers relentlessly, setting the tone for India’s pursuit. Facing Marufa Akter, Shafali struck two boundaries in the opening over and continued her aggressive intent throughout the Powerplay.

India’s innings got off to a flying start as Shafali and Smriti Mandhana quickly put pressure on the Bangladesh attack. Mandhana chipped in with a brisk 8 off 6 deliveries, including consecutive boundaries, before being caught at cover while attempting another attacking stroke. Despite the early wicket, India maintained their momentum as Shafali found support from Yastika Bhatia.

The duo dominated the Powerplay, punishing loose deliveries and rotating the strike effectively. Their aggressive batting helped India race to 63/1 after six overs, the highest Powerplay total ever recorded by India in Women’s T20 World Cup history, surpassing the previous record of 59 set earlier in the tournament.

Shafali reached her half-century in just 29 balls during the seventh over, registering the second-fastest fifty by an Indian batter in Women’s T20 World Cup history. Her knock was packed with strokeplay and confidence, featuring eight boundaries and a six. Just as she appeared set for a much bigger score, she was stumped after stepping out of her crease, ending a brilliant innings of 53 from 34 deliveries.

By the time Shafali departed, India had firmly seized control of the contest. Yastika Bhatia and Richa Ghosh continued to push the scoring rate, ensuring Bangladesh never found a way back. Yastika contributed a valuable 23 off 18 balls with three boundaries before falling to Rabeya Khan, who also removed Richa Ghosh for 10.

Although Bangladesh managed to pick up a few wickets through their spin attack, India remained comfortably ahead of the required rate. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues calmly guided the innings through the middle overs.

Jemimah played a crucial finishing role, accelerating when needed. She struck a six and followed it up with a series of boundaries, scoring a lively 26 off just 15 balls. Her aggressive cameo brought India within touching distance of victory before she was dismissed late in the chase.

With only a handful of runs required, Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma completed the formalities, taking India to a comfortable five-wicket victory.

Earlier, Bangladesh posted 136/8 after being invited to bat first. Their innings was anchored by Juairiya Ferdous and captain Nigar Sultana. After an early setback when Dilara Akter was dismissed for four by Renuka Singh Thakur, Bangladesh rebuilt through a 51-run partnership between Ferdous and Sobhana Mostary.

Ferdous made 33 off 29 balls with five boundaries, while Mostary added 22. Nigar Sultana then played an important captain’s knock, scoring 32 from 24 deliveries and accelerating during the latter stages of the innings. However, her dismissal in the 17th over stalled Bangladesh’s momentum and prevented a stronger finish.

India’s bowlers performed effectively despite several dropped catches in the field. Radha Yadav emerged as the standout performer with figures of 3/28, breaking key partnerships at crucial moments. Shree Charani continued her impressive tournament form, claiming 2/24, including two wickets in the final over.

With her latest performance, Charani reached 12 wickets in the tournament, becoming the first Indian woman to claim 12 wickets in a single Women’s T20 World Cup edition and surpassing Poonam Yadav’s previous Indian record of 10 wickets.

The convincing victory highlighted India’s growing confidence and batting depth, with Shafali Verma’s explosive fifty providing the foundation for another successful chase as the team moved closer to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Brief Scores:
Bangladesh 136/8 in 20 overs (Juairiya Ferdous 33, Nigar Sultana 32; Radha Yadav 3/28, Shree Charani 2/24) lost to India 139/5 in 16.5 overs (Shafali Verma 53, Jemimah Rodrigues 26, Yastika Bhatia 23) by five wickets.