Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: India Beat Bangladesh by Five Wickets to Keep Semi-Final Hopes Alive

India kept their hopes of a semi-final spot alive at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a crucial five-wicket win over Bangladesh at Old Trafford, Manchester.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side needed to win, and the team rose to the occasion under pressure to make sure they are still very much in the race for a spot in the knockouts as the group stage enters its final high-stakes phase.

Charani Tightens Screws, Radha

The Indian bowling unit was clinical as they kept Bangladesh in check after losing the toss and being asked to bowl first. Bangladesh were restricted to 136/8 in their 20 overs, with the majority of the runs coming from a gritty 33 by Juairiya Ferdous and a measured 32 from their skipper Nigar Sultana.

But India came back at key moments:

Radha’s Regular Breakthroughs: Radha Yadav was the star bowler, tearing through the batting order to finish with impressive figures of 3/28.
A Historic Campaign: Shree Charani extended her dream run in the tournament. She picked up vital wickets to take her tally to 12 wickets, officially becoming India’s highest wicket-taker in a single edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

Shafali Powers the Chase

Chasing 137 for a crucial victory, India wanted to get the upper hand early, and opening batter Shafali Verma did just that. Shafali hammered a blistering, aggressive 53 off just 34 balls that deflated the Bangladesh bowling attack completely and put India in total command of the required run rate.

The middle order was held together by Jemimah Rodrigues with a sensible 26, with no late hiccups. India overhauled the target with ease to finish at 139/5 in 16.5 overs.

“With net run rate and every single point now carrying huge weight towards their semi-final aspirations, this commanding performance was the very statement India needed to make.