India Women continued their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a convincing 26-run victory over West Indies Women in a warm-up fixture at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
After West Indies elected to bowl first under overcast skies, India posted a challenging 179/8 before restricting their opponents to 153/8 from 20 overs. Bharti Fulmali led the batting effort with an unbeaten half-century, while Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav played key roles with the ball.
Fulmali Anchors India’s Strong Total
India’s innings was built around a composed and aggressive knock from Bharti Fulmali, who remained unbeaten on 56 from 40 deliveries. Her innings featured six fours and a six and provided stability during the latter stages of the innings.
The foundation was laid by the opening pair. Shafali Verma struck 29 from just 13 balls, while captain Smriti Mandhana added 39 from 23 deliveries as India made a rapid start. Yastika Bhatia further strengthened the innings with 36 from 26 balls before retiring out.
India lost momentum briefly in the middle overs as Jemimah Rodrigues was dismissed for 7, Richa Ghosh departed without scoring, Radha Yadav managed 1, and Shreyanka Patil contributed 2. Kranti Goud added a quick 4 from 2 balls, while N Sree Charani remained unbeaten on 2 as India closed on 179/8.
Afy Fletcher Shines Despite West Indies Struggles
Afy Fletcher was the standout performer among the West Indies bowlers, claiming an excellent 4/23 from her four overs.
Ashmini Munisar was economical, conceding only 14 runs in her two-over spell. Aaliyah Alleyne and Deandra Dottin picked up one wicket each, finishing with figures of 1/17 and 1/19 respectively.
Karishma Ramharack claimed a wicket but conceded 32 runs from three overs. The remaining bowlers were unable to make breakthroughs as India maintained pressure throughout the innings. Chinelle Henry conceded 21 runs from two overs, Qiana Joseph also gave away 21 runs from two overs, Jahzara Claxton leaked 19 runs in her two overs, while Zaida James conceded 13 runs from her lone over.
Spin Duo Derails West Indies Chase
Chasing 180, West Indies were unable to maintain the required scoring rate despite a determined effort from Deandra Dottin, who top-scored with 49 from 44 balls, hitting eight boundaries before falling lbw to Radha Yadav.
Wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle contributed 25 from 22 balls before retiring out, but the middle order struggled against India’s spinners.
Shreyanka Patil delivered the decisive spell of the innings, dismissing Qiana Joseph (5), Zaida James (1), Jahzara Claxton (6), and Jannillea Glasgow (19) to finish with four wickets. Several of those dismissals came through catches taken by Bharti Fulmali.
Radha Yadav was equally influential, removing Aaliyah Alleyne for 13 and captain Chinelle Henry for 1 as part of her three-wicket haul.
Lower-order contributions from Shawinsha Hector, who remained unbeaten on 19 from 11 balls, and Afy Fletcher, who finished on 7 not out, helped West Indies reach 153/8, but the target remained out of reach.
India’s Bowlers Seal The Win
India’s successful defence was driven by their spin attack, which triggered a steady collapse after West Indies had reached 81/3.
Shreyanka Patil finished with outstanding figures of 4/36 from four overs, while Radha Yadav returned 3/25 to keep the pressure firmly on the opposition.
Shafali Verma and N Sree Charani also bowled economical spells, each conceding only nine runs from their two overs. Renuka Singh Thakur went wicketless and conceded 30 runs from four overs, while Kranti Goud gave away 43 runs in her full allocation.
The victory was built on Bharti Fulmali’s unbeaten fifty and strengthened by the match-winning efforts of Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav, giving India a confidence-boosting result ahead of the tournament.
