Lack of PowerPlay wickets is a concern: Mithali Raj on India Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 chances

Ahead of India’s group stage matches against South Africa and Australia at the Women’s T20 World Cup, former India captain Mithali Raj believes Powerplay bowling has been the team’s biggest letdown. 

During an interaction with media arranged by JioStar on Friday, Mithali said India’s odds of winning the elusive title will rest on whether it can improve its effectiveness with the new ball.

“The lack of wickets in the first six is a pattern we have observed with the team in recent matches and it was evident in the first game against Pakistan as well, when the openers were allowed to break free.”

“Yes, India is missing the services of Kashvee Gautam and Amanjot Kaur, but with the resources that we have, we should certainly be doing a better job. Taking early wickets becomes even more important especially against an opposition like South Africa because we all know what Laura Wolvaardt is capable of once she settles in,” Mithali said.

India got its T20 World Cup campaign off to a formidable start, registering a 64-run win over Pakistan and following it up with a 95-run win over Netherlands in its second game.

However, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side faces its first real challenge against South Africa on June 21 and against Australia on June 28, perhaps its toughest opponent in the tournament.

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Skill-wise, Mithali believes the three teams are evenly matched but acknowledged that both South Africa and Australia have players who are more than capable of causing irreparable damage.

“For South Africa, the pace bowling duo of Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail will be a real threat, both bowlers know the Indian batters very well. Talking about Australia, Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield, if she is fit, are two players who are aggressive and can take the game away from India,” she said.

Mithali also heaped praise on the batting unit, especially Smriti Mandhana’s performances, while also highlighting the absence of similar kind of role clarity in the bowling department.

“Smriti’s batting has been really impressive, especially her game awareness. Richa Ghosh has been impactful as the finisher like we saw in the games against Pakistan and Netherlands. Jemimah Rodrigues and Shefali Verma are the anchors, so everybody has been given a clearly defined role.” 

“But when it comes to bowling, I have a lot of doubts. Who are our strike bowlers?  We have Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud and Arundhati Reddy as the pacers but how do you rotate them? Deepti Sharma, N. Shree Charani and the other spinners have taken wickets but who is the designated operator in PowerPlay and middle-overs? These are questions that the team management will need to think about with clarity moving forward,” Mithali said.

Mithali also spoke about Shreyanka Patil’s injury, and backed Radha Yadav to take her place in the team. 

“Its tough for any player to miss a World Cup, let alone somebody who has struggled with injuries all throughout her career. India’s strength has always been its spinners and I’m sure Radha Yadav will do a fine job and the team combination will not be disturbed,” Mithali said.

So what has been the biggest takeaway about India’s campaign for Mithali so far? The temperament of the players, she reveals.

“Ever since the World Cup win, you can feel the players are playing with more confidence and more trust in their abilities. The WPL also deserves a lot of credit for helping the young players adapt to pressure situations and big match moments. Ultimately, the winner will be the team that can execute its plans and handle the pressure the best,” Mithali signed off.

Published on Jun 20, 2026