India Women beat Netherlands, leapfrog Australia to top the table

India produced another commanding performance on Wednesday to beat the Netherlands by 95 runs to record back-to-back victories in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma laid the foundation with a superb opening stand before Nandini Sharma and Shree Charani played with the ball to complete a comprehensive win.

The win was significant not only because it boosted India’s semi-final hopes but also because it propelled them to the top of the Group A table. India now boast a net rate of 3.98, surpassing Australia’s 3.88, a development that will give Harmanpreet Kaur’s team plenty of confidence ahead of their crucial clash against South Africa on June 20.

However, the victory was tempered by concerns about Shreyanka Patil, who suffered a freak ankle injury during the Dutch innings and had to be dragged off the field. India will be anxiously waiting for information on its status. As for the Netherlands, the defeat marked their second loss on the trot, leaving them still looking for their first win in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

SHAFALI FINDS HIS FEET

Before the match, all eyes were on Shafali Verma who was struggling for runs. After India was asked to bat first, the opener silenced her critics with a scintillating 34-ball half-century. Notably, despite making her debut in the 2020 Women’s World T20 Cup, Shafali needed 17 innings to register her maiden fifty in the tournament.

India vs Netherlands Women’s World Cup T20: Update | Scorecard

Shafali and Smriti Mandhana laid the foundation for India’s innings with an explosive start and helped the team race to 59 for no loss in the Powerplay. Shafali eventually fell to Heather Siegers’ 54 and would have been disappointed if she had not turned her start into a bigger score. Still, she had already done the damage, putting together a commanding 115 run partnership with Mandhana from just 70 deliveries.

The innings should do wonders for Shafali’s confidence, especially with India facing 2024 runners-up South Africa in their next Group A match. India have faced concerns over the form of both Shafali and Mandhana, but with the opening pair finding their rhythm, the team management will be relieved as they head into a crucial phase of the tournament.

SMRITI GOES ON HIS MERRY WAY

Smriti Mandhana continued her impressive form. Courtesy: AFP

While Shafali played at the top, Smriti Mandhana picked up where she left off against Pakistan. The left-hander started off cautiously, surveying the conditions, but once she settled in, she shifted gears with ease. Mandhana brought up her half-century from 36 balls before attacking the Dutch bowlers.

The highlight of her innings came in the 15th over when she tore into the Silver Siegers and smashed four consecutive boundaries to keep India firmly in control. She followed it up with another boundary off Caroline de Lange in the next over and looked well on course for her second T20I century. However, against the run of play, De Lange had the last laugh when Mandhana mistimed a lofted shot to pick out Iris Zwilling in the outfield.

Mandhana’s 47-ball 74, which included 11 fours and a six, proved instrumental in helping India cross the 200-run mark for the first time in Women’s World T20 history. After enduring a lean run during the bilateral series against England, the stylish opener seems to have rediscovered her touch at the perfect time for India.

RICHA PULLS OUT ANOTHER FINISHING ACT

Richa Ghosh played a nifty cameo in the sequence. Courtesy: AFP

Richa Ghosh has also struggled for form but her impressive knock in the warm-up against England seems to have restored her confidence. She carried that momentum into India’s clash with Pakistan, where she played a brilliant, unbeaten cameo of 34 runs in the death overs.

On Wednesday, Richa again demonstrated her power art. After Smriti Mandhana’s dismissal, India briefly lost momentum as Jemimah Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia, who had come into the side in place of Bharti Fulmali, departed in quick succession. But Richa ensured there was no slowing down and smashed an unbeaten 20 off just eight deliveries to ensure a flourishing finish.

Deepti Sharma then helped India cross the 200-run mark with a six off Iris Zwilling before adding a boundary to take the total to an impressive 209/6. In the Netherlands, Caroline de Lange was an outstanding player with figures of 4-0-32-2.

However, the Dutch were disappointed with their discipline, conceding 14 wides and no possession. Myrthe van den Raad endured a particularly difficult outing as she bowled a 12-ball spell that included six wides in her opening over.

NANDNI, CHARANI ROCK NETHERLANDS

Nandni Sharma took 2 wickets on T20 World Cup debut. Courtesy: AFP

Once India crossed the 200-run mark, they were always firm favorites in the contest. Heather Siegers and Phebe Molkenboer gave the Netherlands a steady start as they added 34 runs for the opening wicket, but India never allowed the chase to gain any real momentum.

A lot of attention was on Nandini Sharma, who came into the side in place of Arundhati Reddy, and the seamer put in a strong performance. Despite conceding 10 runs in her opener and being greeted by a boundary at the start of her second, Nandini bounced back impressively to dismiss Siegers and later remove Babette de Leede, who went off for a half-century against Bangladesh. She finished with figures of 2 for 22 from her three overs.

Shree Charani was equally impressive, returning excellent figures of 4 for 19 and even taking a hat-trick at one stage. The left-arm spinner recently climbed to No. 2 in the ICC ODI bowling rankings, again underlining her growing reputation. Shafali was also unmissable with the ball, taking three wickets.

India, powered by the efforts of Nandini, Shafali and Charani, restricted the Netherlands to 114. Heather Siegers (21), Phebe Molkenboer (15), Babette de Leede (28) and Sterre Kalis (18) started for the Dutch, but none of them could convert them into significant scores.

SHREYANKA INJURY MARS INDIA WIN

Shreyanka Patil suffered a leg injury. Courtesy: AFP

India’s emphatic win over the Netherlands was overshadowed by a worrying injury to all-rounder Shreyanka Patil, whose participation in the rest of the Women’s World T20 Cup is now in doubt.

The incident occurred on the first ball of the sixth over of the Dutch innings when Shreyanka chased the ball down the half-stop in the field. While trying to prevent further runs, she landed awkwardly and immediately fell clutching her right ankle. Concern quickly spread through the Indians camp as medical personnel rushed to the field to assess the injury.

The situation looked serious from the start, with Shreyanka unable to put any weight on her right leg. After being treated for several minutes, the 23-year-old was taken off the pitch in a stretcher, leaving teammates and fans to fear the worst. Shafali Verma was called upon to complete the work in her absence.

The injury is particularly worrying given Shreyanka’s recent fitness issues. The spinner has only recently returned from a long layoff that included a broken finger and grade 3 shin splints, forcing her to miss the entire WPL 2025 season.

Should she not recover in time, India have the experience of Radha Yadav and Renuka Singh looking to maintain their unbeaten streak in the tournament.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

17 Jun 2026 22:41 IST