India face a virtual quarter-final against Bangladesh at Old Trafford
India sit second in a congested Group A and need to beat Bangladesh at Old Trafford on Thursday to keep their Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final hopes in their own hands.
Jun 25, 2026
India’s Women’s T20 World Cup has narrowed to two games, and the first of them, against Bangladesh at Old Trafford on Thursday, carries the weight of a knockout. Win, and Harmanpreet Kaur’s side keep semi-final qualification in their own hands. Slip up, and the maths turns awkward in a hurry.
India sit second in Group A on four points, level with South Africa and Bangladesh and behind only an unbeaten Australia. Two wins from three, the only blemish a six-wicket loss to South Africa on June 21, have left them well placed but with no room left to coast.
A virtual quarter-final
The group is tight enough that one result can reshape it. India, South Africa and Bangladesh are all locked on four points with two games each still to play, so a Bangladesh win on Thursday would lift Nigar Sultana’s team above India and pile pressure on India’s final group game against Australia. Bangladesh arrive in form, too, having beaten Pakistan by 23 runs to keep themselves in the semi-final race.
India’s healthier net run rate gives them a cushion if the table tightens further, but the cleanest route to the last four is simply to win and settle it. That is the message Harmanpreet’s side will take into a game they are favoured to win but cannot afford to treat lightly.
India lean on their form players
India have the tournament’s two standout individual performers to call on. Smriti Mandhana leads all batters with 159 runs, the kind of work at the top of the order that has underpinned India’s two wins. Sree Charani is the leading wicket-taker with 10, the bowler who has given India a grip through the middle overs.
The head-to-head record sits heavily in India’s favour. They have won 20 of their 23 WT20I meetings with Bangladesh, including each of the last five, a run that should steady India even on a night when the stakes are higher than usual.
Conditions in Manchester
Emirates Old Trafford has offered a fair contest between bat and ball through this World Cup, with an average first-innings score of 163.7 across the three games staged there, so the toss and a competitive total are both likely to count. The Manchester forecast is partly cloudy with temperatures around 16 to 18 degrees and a chance of light drizzle, though a full 20-over game is expected. First ball is at 2:30pm local time, 7:00pm IST.