Deepti Sharma: No team knows comeback better than us ahead of Bangladesh T20 WC clash
Synopsis
After a bruising six-wicket loss to South Africa, Deepti Sharma has invoked India's famous ODI World Cup comeback — three league defeats, then the trophy — as the blueprint for what must follow against Bangladesh. The mental framing is bold; the execution at Old Trafford will determine whether it holds.
Key Takeaways
Deepti Sharma expressed confidence in India's ability to bounce back ahead of their 2026 Women's T20 World Cup Group A clash against Bangladesh at Old Trafford, Manchester .
India suffered a six-wicket defeat to South Africa on 21 June , leaving their semi-final hopes under pressure.
Deepti cited India's ODI World Cup turnaround — recovering from three consecutive league defeats to win the title — as proof of the team's comeback ability.
Concerns from the South Africa loss include a middle-order batting collapse , lack of bowling Plan B, and dropped catches .
India's remaining Group A fixtures are against Bangladesh and Australia (at Lord's on Sunday ) — both now must-win scenarios.
Off-spin bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma declared on Thursday, 25 June that no team in world cricket understands the art of a comeback better than India, as the side prepares for a must-win 2026 Women's T20 World Cup Group A fixture against Bangladesh at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester. The statement came after India suffered a six-wicket defeat to South Africa on 21 June, leaving their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread.
Deepti's Message: Belief Over Setback
Speaking in a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on their official social media accounts, Deepti was emphatic about the team's mental resilience. 'A champion team always looks to make a strong comeback. As a team, we do know how to come back from here and we know the strength of the whole team. We know how to bring in a positive frame of mind in each other, and how to give positive vibes to our people from left to right,' she said.
She added: 'When we have determination, we become more mentally strong for big matches. I think how to make a comeback as a team, no one knows it better than us. Like it happened in the last ODI World Cup, we have a lot of trust in each other and that we will make a strong comeback.'
The ODI World Cup Precedent
Deepti's reference to the ODI World Cup carries significant weight. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side famously recovered from three consecutive league-stage defeats to ultimately clinch the trophy on home soil — a turnaround that has since become a touchstone for the team's collective belief. That historic comeback now serves as the psychological anchor as India face an equally steep climb in the T20 format.
What Went Wrong Against South Africa
India's loss to South Africa on 21 June exposed several fault lines: a middle-order batting collapse, the absence of a credible Plan B in bowling, and costly dropped catches. Each of these lapses has come under scrutiny, and the team management faces pressure to address them before the Bangladesh fixture. Notably, this is the kind of multi-dimensional failure that cannot be papered over by individual brilliance alone.
What India Must Do Next
With clashes against Bangladesh and Australia — the latter to be played at Lord's on Sunday — remaining in the group stage, India can no longer afford any further slip-ups. A win against Bangladesh is effectively non-negotiable to keep semi-final qualification alive. The coming days will test whether Deepti's confidence in the team's comeback culture translates into on-field execution under genuine tournament pressure.
Point of View
But it papers over a structural problem: the South Africa defeat revealed gaps in batting depth and bowling flexibility that belief alone cannot fix. India's T20 format has historically been more fragile than their ODI persona suggests, and Bangladesh — though ranked lower — are capable of punishing the same middle-order vulnerabilities South Africa exposed. The real question is not whether India can summon the will, but whether the team management has made the tactical corrections in the days since 21 June.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When do India play Bangladesh in the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup?
India face Bangladesh in a Group A fixture at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester on 25 June 2026. The match is a must-win for India to keep their semi-final qualification hopes alive.
What did Deepti Sharma say ahead of the Bangladesh match?
Deepti Sharma said that no team knows how to make a comeback better than India, drawing on the side's mental strength and collective belief. She specifically referenced the ODI World Cup turnaround — where India recovered from three consecutive league defeats to win the trophy — as evidence.
Why did India lose to South Africa in the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup?
India suffered a six-wicket defeat to South Africa on 21 June, with a middle-order batting collapse, the absence of a bowling Plan B, and dropped catches identified as the key factors. The loss put India's semi-final prospects under serious pressure.
What is India's remaining schedule in the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup group stage?
India have two Group A matches remaining — against Bangladesh at Old Trafford and against Australia at Lord's on Sunday. Both are effectively must-win fixtures for India to advance to the semi-finals.
Which ODI World Cup comeback is Deepti Sharma referring to?
Deepti referred to the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India side's recovery in a previous ODI World Cup, where they lost three consecutive league-stage matches before rallying to win the tournament on home soil. That turnaround has become a defining reference point for the team's belief in high-pressure situations.
