India kicked off their T20 World Cup warm-up matches with a commanding 20-run victory over the West Indies in Dubai. Jemimah Rodrigues starred with the bat, scoring 52 runs, while Pooja Vastrakar impressed with the ball, taking 3 wickets to seal the win for India.
Opting to bowl first at ICC Academy Ground No. 2, the West Indies saw little success as India posted a competitive 141 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a shaky start with openers Shafali Verma (7) and Smriti Mandhana (14) failing to fire, India recovered thanks to a vital 50-run partnership between Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was dismissed for just one run, with West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews claiming her wicket. Richa Ghosh’s run-out for 7 was another setback, but India’s lower order contributed useful runs, with Vastrakar and Deepti Sharma adding important strikes late in the innings.
In response, the West Indies showed resistance, with Afy Fletcher and Chinelle Henry putting up a fight. However, India’s bowlers, led by Vastrakar’s 3 for 20, kept the pressure on and secured a 20-run victory.
India's strong start in the warm-ups positions them as serious contenders for the T20 World Cup. Their next warm-up match is against South Africa on October 1 in Dubai.