India Women scripted a significant chapter in their cricketing journey with a maiden T20I series victory against England on English soil. The win, sealed in the fourth match of the five-match series at Manchester, marks the team’s first-ever T20I series triumph over England.
The result holds added importance, coming less than a year before India returns to these shores for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. With a blend of youth and experience, and a growing sense of composure under pressure, the series win highlights the team’s steady progress in the shortest format.
Spin Stands Tall in Pace Territory
When you think of a series in England, a fast-bowling-dominant playing XI is usually a given. However, the current India squad had different plans. In the absence of senior pacers, India took the field with a spin-heavy attack, including four specialist spinners in the lineup. It was a bold move, but one that paid off. The spin unit not only held its own in traditionally seam-friendly conditions but also played a central role in controlling the middle overs and building pressure. Their ability to adapt and execute plans was a key factor in India sealing the series with a game to spare.
Wednesday’s victory at Old Trafford was shaped by India’s spinners, with Radha Yadav and Shree Charani combining to take 4 for 45 in eight overs, helping restrict England to a modest 126 for 7. Leading the spin attack, Deepti Sharma provided a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Sophia Dunkley. The wicket marked her 300th in international cricket. With this achievement, she also moved past Pakistan’s Nida Dar and now ranks second on the list of all-time wicket-takers in Women’s T20 Internationals, with 145 wickets.
Fielding Masterclass Backs the Bowlers
India’s fielding was equally impressive. The players were sharp, agile, and alert throughout the innings, backing up the bowlers with smart efforts in the field. Key catches helped dismiss Sophia Dunkley and stand-in captain Tammy Beaumont at crucial moments. While medium-pacer Arundhati Reddy went wicketless, she made a strong impact with her fielding, taking three catches and contributing significantly in the fourth T20I. Speaking about the fielding, Player of the Match Radha Yadav mentioned, “We spoke in the last meeting that we have to cut down the twos, and we actually did that today, and we were really pumped up to do that. Only the fielding part, I thought, changed the momentum.”
Strong Batting Response Seals the Chase
Chasing a target of 127, Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana got off to a positive start, taking on the English new-ball bowlers with intent during their 56-run opening stand. After the dismissal of both openers, captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined Jemimah Rodrigues at the crease. The duo steadied the innings with a crucial 48-run partnership for the third wicket, putting India firmly in control and bringing them within touching distance of the target.
Issy Wong claimed the key wicket of India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur in the 16th over, giving England their third breakthrough. However, the visitors held firm and eventually crossed the finish line with six wickets in hand and three overs to spare. Jemimah Rodrigues remained unbeaten on 24* off 22 balls, guiding India to a memorable T20I series victory over England with one game still to play.
Post-Match Reactions: Contrasts and Confidence
After winning the third T20I but losing the fourth match and consequently the series, stand-in skipper Tammy Beaumont told the media during the post-match presentation, “Contrasting two games. It was always going to be tough defending that score. We needed to get around 150 to have a chance. In a chase like that, you’ve got to get everything right; we just didn’t tonight. We weren’t ruthless with the bat, myself included; it was absolute soft dismissal, not good enough at this level.”
However, she gave credit to India, saying, “Credit to India, they bowled really well. They kept the stumps in play, used their change-ups wisely, and we didn’t adapt quickly enough, and we kept losing wickets. They assessed conditions quickly.”
She concluded by saying, “We want to put on a show for the home fans (in the final match of the series). We haven’t put in a complete performance yet. Missing a couple of key players. The team is in a bit of a transition, and we’ll try to make it 3-2.”
The winning team’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, on the historic series win, said, “We are really grateful that we were able to do this (series win). I’m really proud of my team and the way we played this series. It was really important to get that momentum, and I’m really happy with the way we all contributed.”
On talking about preparations preceding the series and the role of WPL, she mentioned, “We had very good camps back home before coming here. We worked on all our plans; accordingly, we have executed everything here. Everybody knew their role, and accordingly, we all played. We have now played three seasons of WPL, and every season has been special for us. We’ve got a lot of experience from that.”
When asked if India would be looking to seal a 4-1 series victory, she concluded by saying, “Hopefully. We need to do the right things again and again.”
With this historic series win, Team India and captain Harmanpreet Kaur have added another proud feather to their caps. The visitors will now take on England on July 12, 2025, at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
