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The IND-W vs BAN-W fantasy team prediction for ICC Women T20 World Cup 2026 Match 23 is here with pitch report, weather, playing XI, head to head and best fantasy XI for tonight at Old Trafford Manchester. Match starts at 12:30 AM IST on June 26.
India have to win this. There is no other way to put it. They lost to South Africa four days ago and the easy road to the semi-finals is gone. Beat Bangladesh tonight. Beat Australia on June 28. That is the only plan that works now.
Bangladesh are not a pushover. They beat Pakistan in this tournament. Their spinners took Pakistan from 49 for 0 to 84 for 8. That kind of bowling does not care who is batting.
IND-W vs BAN-W Match Details
Match: IND-W vs BAN-W, 23rd T20, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Date: Thursday June 25 2026 / 12:30 AM IST June 26
Time: 7:00 PM BST / 12:30 AM IST
Venue: Emirates Old Trafford Manchester
India Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
Bangladesh Captain: Nigar Sultana Joty
Live TV India: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: JioHotstar
India Women In This World Cup
Beat Pakistan Women by 64 runs. Beat Netherlands Women by 95 runs. Lost to South Africa Women by 6 wickets.
Two wins felt comfortable. The Pakistan game was never close. Against Netherlands India posted 209 and bowled them out for 114. The NRR was flying. Then Old Trafford happened four days ago.
South Africa came in and Marizanne Kapp played one of the great World Cup innings. 81 not out from 45 balls. India dropped her twice. She hit boundaries both times after being dropped. South Africa won with five balls to spare.
Now India are second in Group 1 on 4 points with an NRR of plus 2.511. Still in a strong position. But no longer comfortable.
Bangladesh Women In This World Cup
Beat Netherlands Women by 2 wickets. Lost to Australia Women by 9 wickets. Beat Pakistan Women by 23 runs.
Bangladesh are also on 4 points from 3 matches. Same points as India. The difference is NRR. Bangladesh are at minus 0.641. India at plus 2.511. On paper India are safer. But if Bangladesh win tonight they go to 6 points and their semi-final qualification becomes a real conversation.
The Pakistan win was the result that showed what this Bangladesh side can do. Pakistan were cruising at 49 for 0 needing 124. Then Nahida Akter and Sanjida Akter Meghla started bowling. Eight overs later Pakistan were 84 for 8. Bangladesh won by 23 runs.
Team Form Last 5
India Women: L W W L L
Bangladesh Women: W L W W W
Bangladesh have actually won four of their last five matches. India have won two of their last five. The form chart does not read the way you would expect for a 9-1 head to head matchup.
IND-W vs BAN-W Head to Head
India Women lead 9 wins to 1 from the last 10 T20I meetings. Every bilateral series has gone India’s way. The one Bangladesh win came when India fielded a weakened team.
But numbers from bilateral series do not always travel to World Cups. Bangladesh beat Scotland, Pakistan and Netherlands in this format. They are not the same side they were two or three years ago.
Group 1 Points Table
Australia: P4 W4 L0 NRR plus 4.724, 8 Points
India: P3 W2 L1 NRR plus 2.511, 4 Points
South Africa: P3 W2 L1 NRR minus 0.546, 4 Points
Bangladesh: P3 W2 L1 NRR minus 0.641, 4 Points
Pakistan: 0 Points, Eliminated
Netherlands: 0 Points, Eliminated
Three teams on 4 points. One semi-final spot still available alongside Australia. Tonight India can put themselves in the driving seat. Or Bangladesh can make this genuinely complicated.
Old Trafford Pitch Report
Only one Women’s T20I has been played at Old Trafford in this World Cup. That was India vs South Africa four days ago. South Africa chased 158 in that match and won with 5 balls to spare.
Matches at venue in this World Cup: 1
Average 1st innings: 126
Average 2nd innings: 127
Win batting first: 0 percent
Win bowling first: 100 percent
Highest total at venue: 127 for 4 by India Women
Lowest total: 126 for 7 by South Africa Women
The sample size is just one match so read those numbers carefully. But the pitch has now been used twice in this tournament and a third use on June 25 could produce a surface that grips more for spin. That is exactly the kind of pitch Bangladesh’s spinners love.
Toss verdict: Bowl first based on the one match played here. The surface looks like it will help the team batting second.
Par score: 155 or above batting first would be tough to chase on this pitch. India should aim for 165 or above.
Weather Manchester June 25
Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius
Conditions: Partly cloudy
Humidity: 72 percent
Rain chance: 30 percent
That 30 percent rain chance needs watching. Manchester rain in June is very real. A 7:00 PM local start means the match goes into the evening and conditions can change quickly. If rain comes early there could be a DLS situation. Both captains will know this.
The cloud cover through the evening will help the pace bowlers early and the spinners in the middle overs.
India Women Playing XI
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma open. Jemimah Rodrigues at 3. Harmanpreet Kaur at 4. Richa Ghosh keeps wicket. Deepti Sharma is the key all-rounder. Renuka Singh leads the pace attack. The spin department has Deepti, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil.
Expected India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Nandani Sharma
Bangladesh Women Playing XI
Nahida Akter is their most important player with the ball. Sanjida Akter Meghla provides the second spin option. Nigar Sultana Joty leads and keeps wicket. Fargana Hoque is their most experienced batter. Marufa Akter and Fahima Khatun are the pace options.
Expected Bangladesh XI: Dilara Akter, Shamima Sultana, Fargana Hoque, Nigar Sultana Joty (C/WK), Murshida Khatun, Ritu Moni, Nahida Akter, Sanjida Akter Meghla, Marufa Akter, Fahima Khatun, Sultana Khatun
Players to Watch
India need her to bat long tonight. Not just a quickfire 30. A proper innings. The South Africa match showed what happens when India’s top order does not bat deep enough. Against Bangladesh’s spin attack Mandhana’s footwork and ability to use the crease will be the difference between India posting 170 and 140.
The number she was part of against Pakistan tells you everything about her. Pakistan 49 for 0. Nahida bowls. Pakistan 84 for 8. She does not do that with luck. She does it with skill, variation and the ability to read batters. India’s middle order needs to have a proper plan for her.
Three wickets against Pakistan. Her left-arm spin was just as damaging as Nahida’s off-spin. India have faced left-arm spin before but on a pitch taking turn at Old Trafford she becomes very difficult to score against without taking risks.
The captain going into a must-win match. She bats at 4 and her job tonight is to make sure India post 160 or above. After South Africa she will be the most motivated player on the field.
Match Prediction
India should win. The head to head at 9-1 says India. The squad quality says India. The NRR pressure on Bangladesh to bat aggressively says India.
But Bangladesh’s spinners genuinely worry me. Not because India cannot play spin. They absolutely can. But because on a used Old Trafford pitch with 72 percent humidity and cloud cover through the evening Nahida Akter is one of the best spinners in women’s cricket. If she gets the ball to grip in the first few overs of a powerplay that is supposed to be all pace the wickets will come.
India to win. But not as comfortably as the head to head suggests. Something like 30 to 40 run margin.
Also Read- Best Fantasy Cricket Apps for Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Best Fantasy XI IND-W vs BAN-W
| Player | Team | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Smriti Mandhana | India Women | Batter |
| Shafali Verma | India Women | Batter |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | India Women | Batter |
| Fargana Hoque | Bangladesh Women | Batter |
| Richa Ghosh | India Women | Wicketkeeper |
| Harmanpreet Kaur (VC) | India Women | All-Rounder |
| Deepti Sharma (C) | India Women | All-Rounder |
| Nahida Akter | Bangladesh Women | Bowler |
| Renuka Singh Thakur | India Women | Bowler |
| Shreyanka Patil | India Women | Bowler |
| Sanjida Akter Meghla | Bangladesh Women | Bowler |
Captain: Deepti Sharma
She bats in the middle order and bowls off-spin. On a surface getting better for spinners she could get 3 wickets and score 25 or 30 runs. That combination in a single match gives the kind of all-round points that make her a safe captain pick.
Vice Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
Motivated. Experienced. Under pressure. That combination usually brings the best out of her. She will want to make a statement tonight.
Differential: Nahida Akter
Low ownership because everyone expects India to win easily. But she took Pakistan from comfortable to collapsed in 10 overs in this same tournament. If she gets two early wickets in the powerplay the differential points will be extraordinary.
FANTASY
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Q: What time does IND-W vs BAN-W T20 World Cup 2026 match start in India?
A: The IND-W vs BAN-W match starts at 12:30 AM IST on Friday June 26 2026. The match begins at 7:00 PM local time in Manchester on June 25.
Q: Where can I watch IND-W vs BAN-W T20 World Cup 2026 live in India?
A: Star Sports Network on TV. JioHotstar for live streaming.
Q: What is the head to head record between India Women and Bangladesh Women in T20Is?
A: India Women lead 9 wins to 1 from the last 10 T20I meetings between the two sides. India have won every bilateral series against Bangladesh in recent years.
Q: Is this match a must-win for India Women in T20 World Cup 2026?
A: Yes. After losing to South Africa on June 21 India need to beat both Bangladesh and Australia in their remaining group matches to guarantee semi-final qualification. A loss to Bangladesh would make their path to the semi-finals extremely complicated.
Q: What is the pitch report for Old Trafford for IND-W vs BAN-W?
A: Only one Women’s T20I has been played at Old Trafford in this World Cup. The chasing team won that match. The surface is being used for the third time in this tournament which could make it spin-friendly. Bangladesh spinners Nahida Akter and Sanjida Akter Meghla will be looking to exploit any assistance from the surface.
Q: Can Bangladesh Women beat India Women tonight?
A: Bangladesh are genuine enough to cause problems. Their spinners dismissed Pakistan from 49 for 0 to 84 for 8 in this very tournament. The head to head is 9-1 in India’s favour but Bangladesh are a much improved side. If their spinners get early wickets India’s batting could be in trouble.
Q: Who is the best captain pick for IND-W vs BAN-W fantasy team?
A: Deepti Sharma is our top captain pick. She contributes with both bat and ball and the Old Trafford surface could suit her off-spin. Harmanpreet Kaur is the safest vice captain pick for a motivated captain in a must-win match.
Q: What happens to India if they win tonight?
A: A win puts India on 6 points heading into the final group match against Australia on June 28. If South Africa also lose one of their remaining matches India would be virtually guaranteed a semi-final spot regardless of the Australia result.