India favorites for T20 World Cup: Former Indian captain makes bold claim

Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes the Indian women’s team will go into the upcoming T20 World Cup as one of the favourites, arguing that English conditions are no longer unfamiliar territory for the current team.

India began their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on 14 June with expectations of a deep run in the tournament. The confidence stems from the squad’s growing experience playing in England, with much of the current squad having toured the country several times in recent years.

“English conditions are not foreign. Few or most of them have played there before, at least the core of this Indian team,” Chopra told PTI.

Despite backing India as favourites, Chopra warned against underestimating the competition in Group 1, which also includes Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. With only two teams advancing to the semi-finals, they believe each match will carry significant weight.

“Even Pakistan is playing very good cricket. And India doesn’t know how Netherlands will fare. They have also made it to the World Cup,” she said. “And why should we forget the fact that there is an Australian team and a South African team in the same pool. So only two teams can qualify for the semi-finals from that pool. So it won’t be very easy.”

While, India head into the tournament after showing encouraging signs during their ongoing tour of England. The side has gained valuable experience of the local conditions while several players have already gained considerable experience through bilateral series, franchise competitions and previous tours. But the challenge remains formidable, especially with a tough group stage draw that leaves little room for error. India play T20 series against England in preparation for T20 World Cup (Photo screen by X/@BCCIWomen)

HEADACHE’S CHOICE FOR INDIA

One of the biggest positives for India in the build-up to the World Cup was the return of batsman Yastika Bhatia after a long injury lay-off. The left-hander made an immediate impact on her comeback with a fluent 54 off 40 balls in the opening T20I against England to boost her chances of a permanent place in the top order.

“I think the Indian team will probably have to be a bit more open about flexibility in the batting order. I’m not saying it won’t be because right now, it’s just the series against England. But they’re going to play their first World Cup match in less than a couple of weeks, I feel they need to accommodate a bit more flexibility,” she added.

Chopra believes Yastika’s form could force the team management to take a more flexible approach to the batting line-up, especially with established names like Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues occupying key roles.

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Published on:

02 Jun 2026 15:54 IST