England sealed a 2-1 T20I series victory over India with a six-wicket win in the final match at Taunton on June 2, 2026, in what served as the last outing for both teams ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup starting June 12.
After being asked to bat, India posted a competitive 180/5 in their 20 overs on a good batting surface. However, a dominant 137-run partnership between Alice Capsey and Heather Knight guided England to the target with nine balls to spare.
India Post 180 After Middle-Order Contributions
India lost Shafali Verma early, once again to a left-arm spinner, as Linsey Smith struck from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End. Charlie Dean then joined the attack in the fourth over and removed Smriti Mandhana, who missed a sweep attempt.
Yastika Bhatia provided momentum during the powerplay, scoring 32 off 17 balls. However, her innings ended with a direct-hit run-out from Sophie Ecclestone while attempting a quick single.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur then steadied the innings with a 40-run stand from 26 balls. Rodrigues looked in control before falling to Lauren Bell’s slower delivery.
Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma added a crucial 67-run partnership off 48 balls, both contributing 32 runs each. Harmanpreet went on to reach her half-century in the final over, marking her first T20I fifty against England in 32 innings, as India finished on 180/5.
Capsey-Knight Stand Turns the Game
England’s chase began positively but they lost Danni Wyatt-Hodge early, dismissed by Kranti Gaud, who replaced Shreyanka Patil. Sophia Dunkley counterattacked briefly with back-to-back boundaries before falling to Arundhati Reddy.
Amy Jones also departed cheaply, falling to Kranti for 3, leaving England needing a solid partnership. Capsey and Knight then combined to take control of the chase.
Capsey set the tone by taking 15 runs off a Kranti over and continued to attack, particularly through straight hitting. She reached her fifty off just 27 balls, putting India’s bowlers under sustained pressure.
Knight initially played a supporting role before accelerating, reaching her half-century in 31 balls. Despite attempts from Harmanpreet Kaur to introduce Shafali Verma’s off-spin, England’s batters managed the situation effectively, rotating strike and finding boundaries when needed.
Capsey was eventually dismissed for 82 off 43 balls in the 18th over while attempting an upper cut off Arundhati Reddy. By then, England required only seven more runs.
Knight remained composed and finished unbeaten on 70 from 42 balls, sealing the chase with a boundary as England reached 184/4 and completed a comfortable win.
India Face Questions Ahead of World Cup
India now turn their attention to two warm-up matches before beginning their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston. Despite posting a competitive total, the inability to convert starts and contain England’s middle-order partnership leaves areas to address ahead of the tournament.
