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Muneeba Ali urges Pakistan to fix batting collapses ahead of Australia challenge in Women’s T20 World Cup 2026

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Muneeba Ali (PC: PCB) Pakistan may be out of semi-final contention in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, but opener Muneeba Ali believes there is still enough reason for her side to push hard against unbeaten Australia and end their campaign on a positive note. Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage were dashed after a 23-run defeat to Bangladesh, a match in which they slipped dramatically from 58 for one to 84 for eight. Muneeba, who made 25 before getting out, admitted the side’s tendency to lose wickets in clusters has become a recurring issue and one they must address immediately. “In the last game when I was settled in, I should probably have finished that match,” she reflected. “But unfortunately, when wickets start to fall, we have lost a cluster of wickets in the last three games, so that is the main thing we need to rectify. “We must identify what we were doing in those situations. Are we not taking good decisions mentally in those pressure times? That is what w...
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Ireland eye first Women’s T20 World Cup win as Sri Lanka look to keep semi-final hopes alive

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Ireland_Batting (PC: Ireland Cricket) Ireland will head into their clash against Sri Lanka in Bristol hoping to finally register their first-ever win in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with Leah Paul backing her side’s familiarity with the opposition to work in their favour. Ireland, ranked ninth in the world, are still searching for their maiden victory in the tournament after defeats to Scotland, England and New Zealand. While their campaign began with disappointment against Scotland, they have shown marked improvement since, pushing England in Southampton before falling just four runs short against defending champions New Zealand in a narrow contest. Having faced Sri Lanka regularly in recent years,  including a bilateral series in Ireland in 2024 where the hosts shared the T20Is and won the ODI series, Paul believes that experience could be key. She said: “Sri Lanka is a team that we have had success against in the last few years and it’s a team we know relatively well. If w...
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Adamas Howrah Warriors Crowned Bengal T20 Women’s Champions

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Adamas Howrah Warriors won Bengal T20 Women’s League 2026 (PC: CAB Media) After a day’s delay due to rain, Adamas Howrah Warriors have finally got their hands on the Bengal T20 Women’s League trophy, defeating Murshidabad Kueens by six wickets in the final at the Eden Gardens on Monday. The final clash was originally scheduled for Sunday, June 21, but was shifted to the reserve day due to rain. The Adamas Howrah produced another clinical performance to end their 2026 campaign with their maiden trophy. Murshidabad won the toss and opted to bat first. Adamas Howrah’s bowlers kept Murshidabad under constant pressure. Disha Chandak and Chandrima Ghoshal picked up two wickets each. Remondina Khatun, Sreyoshi Aich and Srilekha Roy chipped in with a wicket each to restrict Murshidabad to 95/9 in their 20 overs.   Chasing 96 runs for their maiden title, Adamas Howrah remained in control throughout their innings. Priyanka Prasad scored 29 runs while Sujata Dey added 27 runs. Srilekha re...
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India let the game slip in phases as South Africa punish another night of half-finished control

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  Image: BCCI Women Trisha Ghosal, Manchester India’s defeat to South Africa at Old Trafford will hurt because it was not one of those nights when they were simply overpowered by a better side. This was a game where India had enough moments, enough control and enough openings to walk away with a statement win. Instead, they let it slip in phases – first with the bat, then in the middle overs of the chase, and finally at the death, when Marizanne Kapp shut the door with the authority India could not summon. The opening India failed to cash in on came in the powerplay. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave India the kind of start teams crave in a World Cup game of this weight – quick, aggressive and immediately unsettling for the opposition. At 59/2 after six overs, India were not just well placed; they were in a position to bat South Africa out of the contest. On a ground where strokeplay early on looked possible, this was the moment for someone from the middle orde...
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Manchester Misery: Dropped Chances Haunt India as Radha Yadav Faces Tough Night

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  Radha Yadav. Image :X Boria Majumdar in Manchester The defeat in Manchester continues to hurt. As I write this piece late into the evening, I am still feeling the pangs of disappointment. On multiple occasions in the game, India looked like taking control, only to see things slip away. One of the main reasons was indeed the fielding lapses, or more specifically, the dropped catches. Two of the three chances were put down by Radha Yadav, arguably the best fielder in the Indian team. Not just in India, Radha ranks among the finest fielders in the world. And yet, it happened. The ball did not stick, and the second chance was as straightforward as it could get. Let me say this at the outset. I do not know Radha well, so please do not jump to conclusions and call this PR. It isn’t. I have watched the Indian team train every single day over the past ten days, and the best fielder on display has been Radha. Here in Manchester, on match day minus two, the team was engaged in high-ca...
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Starts and stumbles: India’s batting comes undone in Manchester

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Team India’s batting (PC: Proteas Women and BCCI) Team India’s perfect run in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup came to an end in Manchester as they suffered a six-wicket defeat on June 21, their first loss in three group-stage games. However, with two matches still to go, the Women in Blue remain in contention for a semi-final spot. That said, their path has become a little tougher after this defeat. Be it the two costly drops from arguably India’s best fielder, Radha Yadav, or the inability to control South Africa’s innings in the middle overs, India fell short in several areas. As a batting unit too, they looked around 15-20 runs short. Despite getting off to a strong start and reaching 59/2 in the powerplay and 82/3 after 10 overs, the Women in Blue failed to capitalise. They added only 76 runs in the final 10 overs while losing four wickets. After opting to bat, it looked a good surface for strokeplay. Both Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana played a few delightful sho...
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At Chepauk, drawing parallels — a CSK game and an India match

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Left: Crowd during CSK vs SRH match; Right: Crowd during Ind vs Afg ODI The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) in Chennai is one of India’s most passionate cricket venues, and the home ground of the five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, attending both the CSK IPL fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the third ODI between India and Afghanistan has revealed how drastically the atmosphere at this stadium can change depending on which team is on ground. One of the most noticeable differences was the crowd turnout and the arrival pattern. During the IPL clash, spectators had begun to occupy the stadium well before the toss and begun creating an energetic atmosphere. The stadium was packed, fans were whistling, and were eager to soak in every moment of the occasion. On the other hand, the India-Afghanistan ODI witnessed a slower build-up, with Afghanistan batting first, several stands had remained partially empty during their innings as spectators began ...
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