It was in England in 2017, the occasion was the semi-final of the ODI World Cup and the opponent was Meg Lanning’s Australia. Harman Preet KaurHer unbeaten 171 changed the course of women’s cricket and is one of the most important innings in the history of Indian cricket.India is back in England this time for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. Harmanpreet Kaur now leads the team, as a World Cup-winning captain, after leading India to its maiden ODI World Cup title in Navi Mumbai last year.The ambition is another trophy, this time at Lord’s on July 5, and India will open their campaign against Pakistan on Sunday. Along with Pakistan, it also includes Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Bharti Phulmali’s return has boosted India’s batting firepower. After two appearances in 2019, he spent seven years out of the national team before forcing a comeback with strong performances in the WPL. Among the Indian batsmen who scored at least 250 runs in the 2025 and 2026 editions, only Richa Ghosh scored at a faster strike rate than Philmali’s 159.5.India’s batting depth is not a major concern. The bowling attack also has experience and diversity. Deepti SharmaRenuka Singh, Krantigode and Shri Charani. The biggest issue is balance, with India first having to solve the selection conundrum created by injuries to Amanjot Kaur and Kushvi Gautam. The absence of both seam bowling all-rounders has thrown India off balance and forced a debate on whether they should strengthen their batting or add another bowling option.If either Amanjot or Kashvi were fit, India could field a seven-bowling all-rounder with two front-line pacers, while also maintaining depth in both batting and spin. His absence leaves a gap that is difficult to fill and could force India to choose between strengthening the batting or bringing in another specialist bowler.Former England captain Nasir Hussain He believes that India should lean towards batting depth.
Team India Cricketers (Photo Credit: BCCI)
Speaking at the JioStar Media Day, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup expert Nasir Hussain said, “Personally, I will play extra batsmen, I will pack my batting, I will use Shafali – remember Shafali came in the 50-over World Cup final, she was not even in the original squad, and then she will use Shafa as a bowler and I will score runs with safety balls. Like the women’s game. In, four of the top six, seven bowlers are spinners.“Hussain said that the nature of women’s cricket, particularly T20 cricket, makes spin a more valuable resource than seam bowling.“England has three spinners in the top six, so spin to win in women’s cricket, especially in T20 cricket,” Hussain said in response to a question. TimesofIndia.comThe former England captain suggested that India should rely on their spin options, play only two seamers and strengthen the batting unit instead.“I will play all my spinners, not all of them, but if you are asking me balance, a few seamers and all my batting.”However, Hussain warned that such a strategy would require a more aggressive approach with the bat.“But if you do that, you’re going to be in trouble. If you go back to the 50-over World Cup, India had the same problem at the start. They played extra batting, but were still a bit cautious.”“Then all of a sudden it clicked, and they got tighter, and they outdid themselves. Jemima scored this brilliant century in the semi-final. Shafali gave him another bowling option in the final.”According to Hussain, if India opt for an extra batsman, they cannot afford a tie total.“If you want to go with an extra batsman, you have to get a top score because you know your bowling is a bit light. You can’t just go for par. You have to get a top score and play fearless cricket. From what I’ve seen of India so far on this tour, that’s what they’ve done.”(Watch all the action of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, June 12 to July 5, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network)
