India Women began their England tour with a dominating 97-run win in the first of the five-game T20I series in Nottingham. They posted a huge 210/5, thanks to a brilliant 112-run knock from stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana. The Indian bowlers then put in a strong performance and bowled out the home side for just 113.
On the eve of the match, Mandhana, at the pre-match press conference, said that regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had missed practice but was likely to be available for selection. However, at the toss, Mandhana walked out as captain, and the BCCI later confirmed that Harmanpreet had been rested. The official statement said she was recovering from a head injury sustained during the warm-up match against the ECB Development Women’s XI. Mandhana added that she is hopeful Harmanpreet would be fit in a few days.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt won the toss and chose to bowl, but the decision didn’t work well. Shafali Verma had a disappointing comeback. She scored a scratchy 20 off 22 balls, but shared a quick 77-run opening stand with Mandhana in just 8.3 overs. Harleen Deol came in at No. 3 and looked in good form. She smashed 43 off 23 balls and built a 94-run partnership for the second wicket.
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First Indian batter to score a century in all three formats in women’s cricket
Highest ever T20I score for #TeamIndia in women’s cricket
A of quality from Smriti Mandhana, and the celebrations say it all #ENGvIND | @mandhana_smriti pic.twitter.com/TQhZc4l4WD
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) June 28, 2025
At the 16-over mark, India were 171/2, with Mandhana well set and big hitters like Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh yet to bat. Mandhana kept scoring freely. She reached her fifty in 27 balls and went on to score her maiden T20I century in just 51 balls. Her superb knock ended at 112 off 62 balls. With that, she became the first Indian woman to score centuries in all three formats.
However, India had a mini-collapse towards the end. Richa scored 12 off 6, while Jemimah was dismissed for a two-ball duck. India finished on 210/5 in 20 overs. For England, Lauren Bell stood out with figures of 3 for 27 in four overs.
In reply, England struggled, especially against spin. Nat Sciver-Brunt fought hard with 66 off 42, but got no support from the other end. England were bowled out in just 14.5 overs. Debutant left-arm spinner Shree Charani impressed with figures of 4 for 12 in 3.5 overs. Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav picked up two wickets each. Arundhati Reddy and Amanjot Kaur claimed one each. In total, England lost eight wickets to spin and two to pace.
At the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Mandhana praised the bowlers and spoke about the team’s focus. She said: “We had good prep, these wickets are really good to bat on. The bowlers, the way they executed the plans, was outstanding. To start with, Richa’s catch was brilliant. We have four more matches, so we need to keep the momentum going and keep good habits.”
Meanwhile, after clean-sweeping West Indies in both ODIs and T20Is recently at home, this loss came as a surprise to Sciver-Brunt and head coach Charlotte Edwards. Reflecting on the defeat, Sciver-Brunt said: “They challenged us greatly, we didn’t bowl as well as we wanted to. When you’re chasing 200 you have to keep going. Losing early wickets gets you behind the rate. Five-match series, look forward to another opportunity at Bristol.” The next match is on July 1.
Also Read: T20I Series in England: India’s Women Gear Up for World Cup Rehearsal