India captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted her side needs urgent improvement in fielding standards after a below-par performance in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Bangladesh, even as India secured a five-wicket victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Despite restricting Bangladesh to 136/8, India’s fielding once again came under scrutiny as they dropped four catches during the innings. The lapses allowed Bangladesh to post a competitive total, which India chased down in 16.5 overs.
Harmanpreet did not shy away from acknowledging the issue, stating that the team had “fumbled” at crucial moments.
“We’ve worked on our fielding but we dropped catches. They are our best fielders, but sometimes it happens. We just need to keep working and keep catching balls so we get into good positions. We have fumbled, but hopefully we show our best next game,” she said after the match.
Missed chances continue to hurt India
India’s fielding has been a recurring concern in the tournament, and the match against Bangladesh highlighted the problem once again. Dropped catches not only extended Bangladesh’s innings but also added pressure on the bowlers.
Key contributions from Bangladesh’s Juairiya Ferdous (33) and skipper Nigar Sultana (32) ensured that India could not dominate completely, largely due to the reprieves they received.
However, India’s bowling unit managed to keep things under control. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav was particularly impressive, picking up 3 wickets for 28 runs in her four overs. The rest of the bowling attack also maintained discipline, preventing Bangladesh from accelerating in the death overs.
Shafali leads the chase with confidence
In response, India got off to a steady start before Shafali Verma took charge of the chase. The aggressive opener scored a brisk 53 off 34 balls, anchoring the innings and ensuring that India stayed ahead of the required rate.
Shafali’s innings was marked by calculated aggression, as she targeted loose deliveries and rotated strike effectively when boundaries were not available.
“Very happy with the way I batted. Good confidence. I just tried to hit boundaries off bad balls, nothing different. I tried to choose the right ball to go big and take a single if not,” she said after being named Player of the Match.
Despite her match-winning contribution, Shafali admitted she was disappointed at not converting her innings into a bigger score. She also expressed her readiness to contribute with the ball if required.
“I used to bowl with the new and old ball in the nets. I’m there to do whatever the team needs. Thanks to Harman di for giving me good fields and confidence,” she added.
Focus shifts to crucial Australia clash
With this win, India remain in contention for a semi-final berth, but the road ahead remains challenging. Their next match against Australia is expected to be a decisive encounter.
Harmanpreet described Australia as one of the strongest teams in the tournament and emphasised the importance of delivering a complete performance.
“All set for Australia, one of our best oppositions. We know in these tournaments when every game is a must-win, you have to give your best. We’ll get a lot of confidence if we win that,” she said.
The captain also reflected on India’s previous success in Navi Mumbai during the ODI World Cup, noting that such victories help build belief and confidence within the team.
Bangladesh rue missed opportunities
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana expressed disappointment at her team’s inability to capitalise on key moments despite creating several opportunities.
“We created a lot of chances but couldn’t grab them, so India took the game away. We bowled well. We were 15–20 runs short. We got a good powerplay but couldn’t carry on,” she said.
Her assessment highlighted that Bangladesh were competitive but lacked the finishing touch needed to challenge a stronger Indian side.
Conclusion: India win but concerns remain
While India will take confidence from the victory, the persistent fielding issues remain a significant concern. Against stronger opponents like Australia, such lapses could prove costly.
If India aim to progress further in the tournament, improving their fielding efficiency will be as crucial as maintaining their batting and bowling form. The upcoming clash will test not only their skill but also their ability to learn quickly from mistakes.