India sent out a big message ahead of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 by defeating West Indies in a warm-up match. In the clash which was played in Cardiff on Monday, June 8 India recorded a commanding 26-run win. Batting first, the Women in Blue posted 179/8, powered by an amazing fifty from Bharti Fulmali (56). They restricted West Indies to 153/8, all because of impressive spells from Shreyanka Patil (4 wickets) and Radha Yadav (3 wickets).
Decent batting show from India
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur did not feature in the game for India, while Deepti Sharma was not needed to bat. In the absence of Harmanpreet, Smriti Mandhana took over the leadership duties and managed to kick off the innings on a strong note alongside Shafali Verma. The pair stitched an opening stand of 59 runs, with Mandhana scoring 39 off 23 balls, hitting eight boundaries. Meanwhile, Shafali contributed 29 off 13 balls, striking five fours before being dismissed. Jemmimah Rodriguez amassed only seven runs, but Yastika Bhatia (36) and Bharti Fulmali steadied the innings with a key 60-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Loss of momentum in India's batting
India seemed to be cruising towards a big total, but they lost momentum after Yastika Bhatia retired out after her 36-run knock, which consisted of six boundaries. The middle and lower order then struggled, with Richa Ghosh (0), Radha Yadav (1), Shreyanka Patil (2), and Kranti Goud (4) falling on cheap scores.
However, Bharti Fulmali held firm at the other end, smashing an unbeaten half-century that featured six fours and a six to guide India to 179. For West Indies, Afy Fletcher was the best bowler, returning great figures of 4/23.
Flop batting show from West Indies
West Indies got off to a strong start in the second innings, with Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle (25) putting together a solid 63-run stand in the first nine overs. However, the decision to retire Campbelle at that stage proved to be costly, as the entire batting lineup faced struggles against India's bowlers. Dottin top-scored with 49 off 44 balls, smashing eight boundaries, but lacked support from the other end. Shreyanka Patil led India's bowling effort with figures of 4/36, while Radha Yadav contributed with three wickets for 25 runs.