India open against Pakistan as they chase a first Women's T20 World Cup title in England
India's wait for a first Women's T20 World Cup title runs into a familiar problem when the tournament starts in England next month. The draw has handed Harmanpreet Kaur's side one of the harder groups, and the schedule bookends it with the two matches that will pull the biggest crowds.
The 12-team competition runs from June 12 to July 5 across seven English grounds, with the group stage finishing on June 28 and the knockouts following from there. India sit in Group A alongside Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands, which is about as testing a six as the draw could have produced.
Pakistan first, Australia last
India begin against Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston, the fixture that carries an atmosphere of its own whatever the rankings say. From there they head to Headingley to play the Netherlands on June 17, then to Old Trafford for games against South Africa and Bangladesh, before closing the group against Australia in London on June 28.
That last match could decide who finishes where. Australia have won the title six times and are still the team everyone measures themselves against, and meeting them in the final group game, with a semi-final place possibly on the line, is the sort of test India would rather take on fresh than fatigued.
The chase for a first title
India have gone close before without finishing the job. Their one final appearance came in 2020 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia were too strong and won by 85 runs in front of a crowd of more than 86,000. Six years on, much of the side has changed but the target has not.
New Zealand arrive as defending champions after beating South Africa in the 2024 final, the win that finally loosened Australia's long grip on the trophy. That result was a reminder that the distance between the best teams has shrunk, and it is part of why India will back themselves if they can find form at the right time.
Conditions India know
The current tour of England is no accident of timing. The T20I series against the hosts gives Harmanpreet's batters and bowlers a run in the conditions they will meet in June, and the early signs have been good. English pitches in midsummer tend to offer the seamers more than Indian surfaces do, and adjusting quickly will matter as much as any selection call.
India have the players to go deep into this tournament. Whether they can turn a strong squad into a first title may come down to how they handle a group that offers them no easy way in.
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