“Stop Thinking About Fallen Wickets”: Shikha Pandey Backs Harmanpreet Kaur To Bring Out Natural Game Against Bangladesh In T20 World Cup

Team India are in a tight spot before their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against Bangladesh after losing to South Africa in Manchester. On JioStar’s Game Plan, experts Shikha Pandey and Veda Krishnamurthy discussed Harmanpreet Kaur’s strike rate, Jemimah Rodrigues’ form, and possible changes to India’s XI.

Shikha Pandey said a batting-order change could help Captain Harmanpreet Kaur find form again. She felt Harmanpreet should stop thinking about fallen wickets and focus on playing her natural game, adding that the India skipper is strong against spin and becomes a different player once set.

“Harmanpreet Kaur’s strike rate is a cause for concern for India’s middle order. If a wicket falls early, we have seen Yastika Bhatia walk in, with Jemimah Rodrigues at number four. We might see Harman come in to bat at number four and Jemimah drop down to number five. But wherever she bats, Harman should stop thinking about the wickets that have fallen and not try to rebuild because we have seen that when Harmanpreet Kaur is on song, she is a completely different player altogether. Once she gets set, we’ll see those straight drives and those shots over deep mid-wicket. She is excellent against spinners, so if she can just get set, it will be great for India.”

Pandey also praised Shree Charani’s spell in the tournament. She said Charani and Deepti Sharma have worked well together, and noted that Charani has taken 10 wickets in three games. She pointed to the wicket of Annerie Dercksen as a fine left-arm spin delivery.

Jemimah, Radha and possible XI changes

Veda Krishnamurthy said Jemimah Rodrigues needs a fixed role and more trust after a run of low scores. She said India lost momentum against South Africa as wickets kept falling, and backed Jemimah to bat at number three rather than move around the order.

“It’s about believing in yourself. When there are a couple of low scores, you start thinking too much, and that is when a batter kind of goes into a shell. The wickets fell at regular intervals against South Africa. Every time it looked like a partnership was going to build, a wicket fell. In T20 cricket, you need to maintain that momentum as much as possible. So, for Jemimah, I’d still like to see her bat at number three. Just give her one role because it makes it a lot easier to prepare that way. The minute you say, ‘Be flexible,’ you don’t know whether to be ready from the first ball or from the third over. It kind of gets difficult for a batter. So, give that clarity, either say you’re going to bat at number four or at number three. Don’t keep shuffling her around according to the situation of the game.”

Krishnamurthy also said she would like to see changes in the XI, with Kranti Gaud back against Bangladesh and Radha Yadav still in the side. She said India need a genuine fast bowler, while also backing Radha at number five despite her dropped catches against South Africa.

“I’d like to see changes in the XI. I think Kranti Gaud will be back against Bangladesh. You need that genuine fast bowler. We saw what Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail did against India. Along with that, for role clarity, I’d have Jemimah at number three, which means Yastika doesn’t fit into that batting order. I know Radha Yadav dropped a couple of catches, which were crucial in the way the game turned out in the end. But I’d still back her to bat at number five. A couple of left-arm spinners could have been handy against South Africa. We saw how Shree Charani went about her business. Malaba was also very good for South Africa. So, you just have to go with what a player brings to the table, and I think Radha Yadav brings a lot.”