India Women Vs England Women LIVE Score, 1st T20I 2026: Women In Blue Shifts Gear | IND-W 120/2 (12)

India Women were off to a great start in the powerplay but they could gather only 27 runs off the last 24 balls. Led by captain Charlie Dean, England have pulled things back nicely and are looking to make the set duo go for the risky shots and lose their wickets. Bhatia has slowed down drastically after powerplay while Jemimah has anchored the innings so far. India will look to change gears anytime soon. Meanwhile, Bhatia reaches her half-century.

Despite the double blow in the first over, India have made a comeback and posted a strong total on the board in the powerplay. Yastika Bhatia, who is making a comeback, raced on to 40 runs in just 17 deliveries and her high-intent batting as set the platform for a big total. Issy Wong's poor control with the ball didn't help the hosts and using it, Jemimah and Bhatia have put up a daunting partnership. England will want to break it soon.

A disaster start from India as they lose two wickets in one over. Smriti Mandha, their mainstay, departs in the first ball of the match against Lauren Bell. She went for a drive on the up, but the ball holds and it goes straight to the hands of the extra cover fielder. The last ball of the over was on the leg side and he miscues the ball to the hands of the mid-on fielder. India are in trouble and they will have to overcome this challenge.

India Women: Smriti Mandhana(c), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Shree Charani

England Women: Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones(w), Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Danielle Gibson, Charlotte Dean(c), Issy Wong, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell, Tilly Corteen-Coleman

England Women have won the toss and have opted to field

The Indian women’s cricket team is currently in England for a three-match T20I series that serves as a vital final dress rehearsal before the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Following a challenging 4-1 series defeat in South Africa earlier this year, the tour provides a crucial platform for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side to rediscover their consistency, refine team combinations, and adapt to English conditions, which are typically more conducive to seam bowling than those in India.

Adaptation is a key theme for this tour, as the visitors look to sharpen their pace attack. The team management is expected to utilize the series to test the discipline of bowlers like Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Goud, and Arundhati Reddy, while also integrating rookie pacer Nandini Sharma. Furthermore, the squad has been bolstered by the return of experienced campaigners Yastika Bhatia and Radha Yadav. Bhatia’s return provides stability behind the stumps after her recovery from an ACL injury, and Yadav adds necessary depth to a spin-heavy department that also features Deepti Sharma and Shreyanka Patil.

The team has already shown positive signs of adjustment during a recent tour match against an ECB Development Women's XI, which India won by 7 wickets. This victory allowed top-order batters like Shafali Verma to find their rhythm and offered the bowlers a chance to test their lines. With the T20 World Cup beginning on June 14, this series against England is being treated as the ultimate testing ground to finalize strategies and build the psychological momentum needed for a strong campaign on the global stage.

England Women: Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Amy Jones(w), Danielle Gibson, Charlotte Dean(c), Sophie Ecclestone, Issy Wong, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, Tilly Corteen-Coleman

India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Radha Yadav, Yastika Bhatia, Bharti Fulmali, Nandni Sharma

Match: India Women vs England Women first T20I

Tournament: India Women's Tour of England 2026

Venue: Ambassador Cruise Line Ground (County Ground), Chelmsford

Time: 11:00 PM IST (6:30 PM BST)

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the IND-W vs ENG-W first T20I match at the County Ground in Chelmsford on May 28, Thursday. Stay tuned to get live score updates, commentary, toss updates and playing XI info.