Mandhana insists Shafali and she must bounce back at T20 World Cup 2026

Smriti Mandhana believes Shafali Verma and she still have big roles to play as India target T20 World Cup glory.

Openers reflect on tough series Mandhana and Shafali Verma managed opening stands of 19, 27 and 0 across three matches, but Mandhana stressed the duo has a major part to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup. India clinched the ODI World Cup on home soil last November and now eye the T20 title. 'For me and Shifu, we are definitely timing the ball well but unfortunately we are not able to contribute in big ways for the team,' Mandhana remarked after the third T20I, a six-wicket loss to England. 'But for both of us, we'll go back in the nets, keep working hard and make sure we come back stronger as an opening pair because both of us pride ourselves to give good starts and keep the momentum going. We'll take it in our stride and try and work hard.' ## England series offers lessons ahead Playing an early series in England before the 2026 T20 World Cup provided valuable preparation for India. Mandhana averaged 13.33 in the series with a top score of 32, while Shafali posted an average of 11.66 but boasted a strike rate of 152.17 compared to Mandhana’s 114.28. Their best effort came in the second match at Bristol, where Mandhana made 32 off 25 and Shafali hit 22 off 14 in a chase of 169, but a collapse of seven wickets for 32 left India 26 runs short. Yastika Bhatia shone on her return from injury, topping the series aggregate with 119 runs and one half-century. ## Captain’s knock and late collapse Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 56 off 40 powered India to 180 for 5 in the decisive game, though it wasn’t enough to secure victory. 'She batted amazingly well today,' Mandhana said of her captain. 'Harman, when she is at her best, it is a sight to watch. Today, she played all over the ground, really important innings under pressure today, especially when we needed that knock to get us to 180-plus. Really happy. I just feel everyone is definitely in good nick. It's good signs going forward for the World Cup that Jemi [Jemimah Rodrigues], Harman, everyone is looking really beautiful to watch from the outside. Hopefully, I can watch from the non-striker's end.' India fought hard, reducing England to 38 for 3 while defending 180, but Alice Capsey and Heather Knight put on 137 for the fourth wicket to seal the win with nine balls remaining. ## Bowling and preparation examined Mandhana admitted India started well with the ball, reducing England to 38 for 3, but conceded the opposition’s partnership was decisive. 'We definitely started extremely well with the ball, 35 [38] for 3. I wouldn't really take anything away from the partnership they had,' she said. 'I think they played really good cricketing shots. They played all around the ground. In hindsight, we would have been able to build pressure with a few dot balls, but we were not able to do that.' She added that the team will review mistakes and adjust strategies before the World Cup, including bowling plans tailored to English conditions. ## World Cup group and warm-ups confirmed India’s opening match at the 2026 T20 World Cup is against Pakistan on June 14 in Birmingham. They are placed in Group 1 alongside Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and the Netherlands and will play two warm-up games against West Indies on June 8 and England on June 10 before the main tournament begins. 'India-Pakistan doesn't need hype,' Mandhana said. 'We did play India-Pakistan at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and [it was] sold out. Not only India-Pakistan, I just feel we really need to hype up the T20 World Cup. We don't need to [do it for India vs Pakistan]; it's already hyped up. I am sure a lot of people are going to come and support us. Hopefully, we can put up a show for them.' ## Key takeaways from England tour The England series offered mixed signals for India ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. While Yastika Bhatia’s return from injury proved successful with 119 runs and a half-century, the top-order struggled outside the second match. Mandhana highlighted the need for the opening pair to regain form and the bowling unit to refine its approach under pressure. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s innings of 56 not out was a bright spot, but the late collapse in defence exposed areas for improvement. India’s next steps involve net sessions, tactical reviews and two final tune-up games to sharpen their edge before facing Pakistan in the tournament opener.