India Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Contenders: Reema Malhotra Backs Side As Favourites In England

Former India all-rounder Reema Malhotra backs India women strongly. She sees them as major title contenders in England. She credits their spin attack and recent success. She says confidence is high after last year’s ODI World Cup win at home.

Malhotra feels spin will decide many matches in England. She highlights warm conditions for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The tournament starts Friday. The final is on July 5. She believes India now performs across formats. She says dependence on one star is over.

Key spin options for England conditions

Malhotra names several spinners for key roles. “Players like Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and Shree Charani will have very important roles. Shafali Verma can also contribute with the ball,” she told PTI Bhasha. She feels effective spin could help India lift the trophy.

Malhotra plays down worries over pace inexperience. She notes Renuka Singh Thakur has 63 T20 Internationals. Kranti Goud has 11 T20s. Nandini Sharma has three. She says, “Experience comes with opportunities and game time.” Senior players can guide younger bowlers in pressure matches.

Recent series results before World Cup

After winning the ODI World Cup, India beat Australia 2-1 away. They then lost 1-4 in South Africa. They went down 1-2 in England. India beat West Indies in a warm-up match. They then suffered a narrow warm-up loss against England on Wednesday.

India’s batters struggled in South Africa and England. Malhotra still supports the approach. “Before a World Cup, finding the right combination is more important than winning bilateral series,” she says. She explains that tours helped give players match practice and confidence ahead of the tournament.

Batting depth and finishing options

Malhotra says this squad has many batting options. “Apart from Richa Ghosh, the team also has Bharati Fulmali as a power-hitting option for the death overs. Yastika Bhatia provides an additional wicketkeeping option,” she says. She adds that middle-order depth looks strong and stable.

Malhotra lists India’s experienced batters. She names Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma. “This team is no longer dependent on any one player,” she says. She expects Mandhana and Shafali to regain form and give strong starts.

Group composition and knockout favourites

India are placed in Group A. They face Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Malhotra backs India and South Africa to advance. She places them ahead of six-time champions Australia. She also picks defending champions New Zealand and England as semifinal contenders.

India begin their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on June 14. Malhotra says “Mandhana and Shafali will be extremely important for the team.” She believes strong opening stands and effective spin could greatly raise India’s title chances in England.