New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Former Indian wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik believes that the opening combination of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma could prove to be one of the team’s biggest weapons at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will commence on Friday.

With the tournament set to begin later this month, Karthik believes India’s ability to put opposition teams under pressure from the very first ball makes them a dangerous side in the shortest format.

“India’s biggest strength is that they can put teams under pressure from ball one. Smriti brings stability, Shafali brings explosiveness, and when those two get going together, they can take a game away in the Powerplay itself,” Karthik told Jio Hotstar.

The former India cricketer credited the opening duo for playing a key role in India’s success in white-ball cricket over recent years, particularly in the T20 format.

“Their partnership has been vital and a massive reason for India’s performance in limited-overs cricket in recent times, more importantly in T20 cricket and going into a T20 World Cup, that’s a massive advantage to have,” he added.

Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull also identified India’s batting depth as a major factor behind their hopes of lifting the trophy.

Doull pointed to the flexibility of India’s top order and the impact of wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh in the middle and death overs.

“What makes this Indian batting unit dangerous is that the top four can set the platform in different ways, depending on the conditions and the situation. If the top four are able to set the game up, then you have a player like Richa coming in when bowlers are already under pressure, and she’s one of the few players in the world who can turn a game on its head,” Doull said.

He further highlighted Richa’s match-winning contributions during India’s recent ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph.

“That’s the kind of finishing power that wins World Cups. Once again going back to their ODI World Cup win, whether it was the South Africa game or the semi-final against Australia, the impetus Richa provided set her team up in a number of games,” he added.

India will begin their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign carrying strong expectations, with a batting line-up that combines aggressive stroke-makers at the top and proven finishers in the lower middle order.

India has never won the Women’s T20 WC, and they will begin their campaign on June 14 against Pakistan at Birmingham.

–IANS

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