For the better part of the last two years, India’s rise in women’s cricket has had one constant driving force, Smriti Mandhana. The elegant left-hander has been at the heart of several memorable victories, delivering when it mattered most and helping transform India into a genuine powerhouse on the global stage.
It is no exaggeration to say that without Mandhana’s remarkable consistency and match-winning contributions, India’s triumph at the Women’s World Cup last year may never have materialised, leaving the team still searching for its maiden ICC trophy.
With the ODI World Cup glory now part of history, a new challenge awaits. India’s attention has firmly shifted to the Women’s T20 World Cup, a title that has remained frustratingly out of reach despite years of promise. To finally conquer that frontier, India will once again need their premier batter firing on all cylinders.
That is why Mandhana’s recent struggles have become a talking point. The 2026 season has not unfolded as she would have hoped, with the opener falling short of the lofty standards she has set for herself. Her difficulties were evident during the recently concluded T20I series against England, where India slipped to a 1-2 defeat.
Few players influence India’s fortunes as profoundly as Mandhana. As the T20 World Cup draws closer, getting their batting talisman back to her best could be the key to India’s title ambitions.
HOW MANDHANA HAS STRUGGLED FOR FORM
Mandhana’s numbers in T20Is this year reflect a batter searching for her best touch. In nine matches, she has managed 231 runs at an average of 28.87, figures that fall well below the standards she has established over the years. Her lone standout performance came in the series decider against Australia in Adelaide, where she produced a match-winning 82.
Beyond that knock, Mandhana has frequently looked promising at the crease but has been unable to convert her starts into the substantial scores India have come to expect from her.
The contrast with last year’s England tour is particularly striking. In 2025, Mandhana enjoyed one of the finest phases of her T20I career, becoming only the second Indian woman to score a T20I century and finishing the series with 221 runs at an average of 44.20.
However, when India returned to England a year later, the left-hander endured a difficult campaign, scoring just 40 runs at an average of 13.33. Her struggles were summed up in the opening T20I when Lauren Bell dismissed her for a golden duck. It was the first time an Indian woman batter had been dismissed off the very first ball of a T20I innings.
Mandhana also failed to make a significant impact in the warm-up fixture against the ECB Development Women’s XI, scoring 21. With the T20 World Cup now just over a week away, her form remains a major concern for India. A return to her best would not only strengthen India’s top order but also provide the ideal platform for the middle order to play with greater freedom and intent.
THE PROMISE OF A STRONG COMEBACK
India’s opening concerns in T20Is are not limited to Smriti Mandhana alone. Her long-time partner at the top, Shafali Verma, has also endured a difficult run in the recently concluded series against England. Across three matches, Shafali managed just 35 runs at an average of 11.66, underlining that India’s struggles at the top of the order have been a collective issue rather than an individual dip in form.
Despite the lean patch, Mandhana has remained optimistic about the pair’s ability to bounce back. Acknowledging the shortcomings in the England series, she stressed that both she and Shafali are determined to turn things around and rediscover their rhythm at the top of the order.
“For me and Shifu, we are definitely timing the ball well but unfortunately we are not able to contribute in big ways for the team. But for both of us, we’ll go back in the nets, keep working hard and make sure we come back stronger as an opening pair because both of us pride ourselves on giving good starts and keeping the momentum going.
Unfortunately, we could not do that in this series,” Mandhana said after the conclusion of the series.
With the T20 World Cup fast approaching, India still have a short window to fine-tune their combinations. The upcoming warm-up fixtures against West Indies and England will be crucial for both Mandhana and Shafali to find form, rebuild confidence, and carry momentum into the marquee clash against Pakistan.
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