Smriti Mandhana scored a brilliant 74 runs off 47 balls today (June 17, 2026) to help India Women reach a powerful total against the Netherlands. Playing in Leeds at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, she smashed 11 fours and 1 six before getting caught out at extra cover.
The Netherlands won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Headingley stadium in Leeds. Early on, Mandhana and her opening partner, Shafali Verma, played carefully to steady the ship.
After getting used to the pitch, Mandhana started hitting big boundaries. She even hit a stylish, high six that got the crowd cheering. In the 15th over of India's innings, Mandhana went into full attack mode. She smashed four boundaries in a row, jumping from her 50s up to 69 runs very quickly.She looked set to score a full century. However, in the 16th over, she tried another big hit but mistimed the ball. She was caught out by Iris Zwilling at extra cover.
Smriti Mandhana scored a brilliant 68 runs off 44 balls against Pakistan on June 14, 2026, at Edgbaston Stadium. This was her second consecutive fifty, building on her spectacular half-century scored against the Netherlands in the exact same tournament.Against Pakistan, India faced intense pressure early on after a shaky 18/2 start.
The elegant opener single-handedly shifted the momentum with a fiery counter-attack. Alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, she built a crucial 91-run partnership to rebuild the innings. Mandhana completed her half-century off just 34 balls, smashing 9 fours and 2 towering sixes. This high-stakes knock gave India a powerful platform to reach 170/6 and set up a crushing 64-run victory over their rivals.
India Women scores 209 against Netherlands Women in Women's T20 World Cup 2026
India Women posted a massive 209/5 against Netherlands Women today (June 17, 2026) at Headingley, Leeds.Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave India a flying start. They built a spectacular 115-run opening partnership in just 11.2 overs. Mandhana top-scored with a brilliant 74 off 47 balls, smashing 11 fours and 1 six.
Verma played a fiery knock too, scoring 55 off 34 balls with 9 fours.After the openers fell, captain Harmanpreet Kaur took charge to keep the run-rate high. She smashed a quick 32 runs off 18 balls. A few late wickets fell, but India easily crossed the 200-run mark to set a daunting target.
The Netherlands Women had a tough day bowling against India at Headingley, Leeds. After choosing to bowl first, their bowlers struggled heavily to break India's massive 115-run opening partnership.However, the Dutch team showed great fight and made a strong comeback in the final overs. Caroline de Lange was the star bowler for the Netherlands, taking 2 wickets for 32 runs in her 4 overs.Iris Zwilling also bowled well, finishing with steady figures of 1 wicket for 41 runs. Captain Heather Siegers and Myrthe van den Raad each picked up one wicket as well.
Despite leaking 209 runs, the Netherlands bowlers never gave up and kept fighting until the final ball.
