India Women made a winning start to their England tour with an impressive 38-run victory over England Women in the first T20I at County Ground, Chelmsford.
After being asked to bat first, India Women recovered from an early setback to post a competitive total of 188/7 in 20 overs. The innings was built around a superb partnership between Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues. Bhatia scored a fluent 54, while Rodrigues played a match-winning knock of 69 runs, helping India take control of the contest.
Chasing 189 for victory, England Women started positively but struggled to maintain the required run rate as wickets fell at regular intervals. Amy Jones fought hard with a well-made 67, but India’s bowlers continued to apply pressure throughout the innings. England eventually finished on 150/8 in their 20 overs.
India’s disciplined bowling performance ensured that England never gained full control of the chase. The visitors combined strong batting, effective bowling, and sharp fielding to secure a comfortable win and take a 1-0 lead in the T20I series.
Match Summary
India Women: 188/7 (20 Overs)
England Women: 150/8 (20 Overs)
Result: India Women won by 38 runs
Player of the Match: Jemimah Rodrigues (69)
Venue: County Ground, Chelmsford
Series: India Women Tour of England 2026
England Women
Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean (c), Issy Wong, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell, Tilly Corteen-Coleman
India Women
Smriti Mandhana (c), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud
