New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) Fresh from their historic ODI World Cup triumph earlier this year, India will head into the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup with hopes of ending another long wait — lifting their first-ever T20 world title. Beyond the team’s pursuit of glory, several Indian stars are on the verge of achieving iconic records of their own during the tournament in England and Wales.

India’s tournament journey starts against archrivals Pakistan in Birmingham on June 14 before facing the Netherlands, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Australia in Group A.

Harmanpreet set for 200 T20I appearances.

India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is on the cusp of a historic moment as she stands one cap away from becoming the first-ever player in either men’s or women’s cricket to register 200 T20 International appearances.

The seasoned batter currently has 196 T20 International caps and requires only four more matches to achieve the unprecedented record. What makes the achievement all the more special is that Harmanpreet made her T20I debut during the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup in England in 2009. Seventeen years later, she could reach this incredible landmark in the same country where her T20 International journey began.

Harmanpreet set to join elite 10-World Cup club.

As well as the potential T20I cap milestone, the World Cup will also witness Harmanpreet’s 10th outing at a Women’s T20 World Cup, which places her among a very elite seven players who have featured in every single edition of the competition since its inception.

She joins an esteemed group alongside Ellyse Perry, Chamari Athapaththu, Marizanne Kapp, Stafanie Taylor, Sophie Devine, and Suzie Bates.

Deepti eyes historic 200-wicket milestone

India’s premier all-rounder Deepti Sharma could become the first woman in history to reach 200 T20 International wickets.

The Indian spinner holds the record for the most wickets in women’s T20Is after surpassing Australia’s Megan Schutt and remains one of India’s key players leading into the global tournament.

Deepti’s unique all-round record

The Indian all-rounder is already the only cricketer – male or female – in history to register a staggering double of 1000+ T20 International runs and 150 wickets. With a strong World Cup campaign under her belt, she could extend her already remarkable advantage in this department further and get closer to the 200-wicket landmark.

Will India finally claim the T20 World Cup title?

While a host of individual records are set to be created, the primary aim for the Indian team will be to finally win their first Women’s T20 World Cup.

India have taken part in every edition of the tournament since its inauguration in 2009 and have regularly reached the business end of the competition. The team have made it to the semi-finals in 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2023, respectively, and their best showing was reaching the finals of the 2020 tournament in Australia, where they were beaten by the host nation in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Following a successful year in which the team finally broke their ODI World Cup hoodoo thanks to outstanding individual performances from Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, and Richa Ghosh, India will now look to combine their historic achievements with the ultimate prize and claim the Women’s T20 World Cup crown.

–IANS

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