India began their preparations for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 with a convincing 26-run victory over West Indies in their opening warm-up fixture in Cardiff on Monday.
Fresh from their triumph at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, the Indian team carried their winning momentum into this match, delivering a commanding all-round performance to make an early statement in the tournament build-up.
India's Innings: Fulmali Shines with Half-Century
After being put into bat, Indian openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave the team a brisk start, setting a strong foundation for the innings. Mandhana, who captained the side in this match, scored a quickfire 39 off just 23 balls, hitting eight fours. The West Indies bowlers struggled to find the right line and length, often straying onto the leg side, and Mandhana was quick to punish them.
Aaliyah Alleyne broke the 59-run opening stand when she had Mandhana mistime a shot to mid-on. India posted 70-1 in the power play and continued in that aggressive vein despite losing three quick wickets. Yastika Bhatia and Bharti Fulmali then steadied the innings with a 60-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Bhatia compiled a confident 36 off 26 balls before the team management retired her out to give more match time to players down the order.
This disruption seemed to affect India's rhythm, as the team lost Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav in the very next over. However, Fulmali held the innings together with a well-paced half-century. She remained unbeaten on 56 off 40 balls, hitting six fours and the only six of the innings, ensuring India finished with a strong total of 179/8.
Leg-break bowler Afy Fletcher was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, claiming 4/23 in her four overs.
West Indies Chase: Patil and Yadav Lead Bowling Attack
Chasing a challenging target, Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle put on an opening stand of 63 runs for the first wicket. However, they managed only 37 runs in the power play and were left to play catch-up. As happened in the Indian innings, Campbelle's exit triggered a collapse, with West Indies slipping to 103/6. Dottin narrowly missed out on a half-century, dismissed for 49 off 41 balls.
While West Indies experimented with nine bowlers, India relied mainly on their lead bowlers to secure the win. The Caribbean side struggled against slower bowlers, with Shreyanka Patil (4/36) and Radha Yadav (3/25) claiming all the wickets. Shemaine Campbelle was retired out. Despite a few big hits from Aaliyah Alleyne and Shawnisha Hector later in the innings, West Indies fell well short of the target, finishing at 153/8.
This victory gives India a positive start to their World Cup campaign, showcasing their depth in both batting and bowling.
