India face hosts England in their final World Cup warm-up at Derby

India will play their final warm-up before the Women’s T20 World Cup against hosts England at the County Ground in Derby on Wednesday. The game, which starts at 2:30pm IST, is the last chance for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side to settle on their best eleven before they open their campaign against Pakistan at Edgbaston on 14 June.

Confidence from the West Indies warm-up

India arrive in good heart after their opening warm-up against West Indies in Cardiff, which they won by 26 runs. Bharti Fulmali made an unbeaten 56 in the middle order, while Shreyanka Patil took four wickets and the left-arm spinner Radha Yadav finished with 3 for 25. The bowlers gave the management plenty to think about, sharing the wickets around and keeping the West Indies batting in check.

England will offer a sterner test. Playing at home, in conditions they know well, the hosts have the kind of attack that will probe any soft edges in India’s batting before the real thing begins. For Harmanpreet and her deputy Smriti Mandhana, it is a useful gauge of where the side stands against a leading opponent.

A hard group awaits

India have been drawn in Group A alongside Australia, the six-time champions, plus South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Pakistan. Each team plays five group matches and only the top two go through to the semi-finals, so there is little room for a slow start. India arrive as the reigning 50-over world champions, having lifted that trophy at home in 2025, but the Twenty20 title is the one prize that has always escaped them.

That is what makes the next few days matter. A win over England would send India into the Pakistan opener with momentum, and even a competitive defeat would tell Harmanpreet plenty about her bowling options on English pitches. The tournament itself begins on 12 June, when England meet Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.

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