India enter their second ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2025 Group A fixture against the Netherlands at Headingley, Leeds on Wednesday, 17 June at 7:00 PM IST, riding high on one of the tournament's most complete opening-round performances.

India's Form Heading In

Smriti Mandhana set the tone with an attacking 68 against Pakistan, while Harmanpreet Kaur steadied the middle overs and Richa Ghosh provided a devastating finish to post 170 — a total that proved far beyond Pakistan's reach. The innings demonstrated India's depth across the batting order rather than reliance on a single performer.

The real talking point, however, was the spin attack. Deepti Sharma was virtually unplayable, returning a stunning 5 for 10 in a masterclass of flight and control. Shree Charani chipped in with 3 wickets, while Renuka Singh Thakur and Radha Yadav provided balance across all phases. India's spin arsenal is widely expected to be their decisive weapon again on Wednesday.

Netherlands' Challenge

The Netherlands enter this fixture under pressure after falling short against Bangladesh in the opener. Captain Babette de Leede's measured fifty held the innings together, but the top order failed to capitalise on the powerplay, placing undue burden on the middle order.

With the ball, the Dutch showed more promise. Veteran seamer Iris Zwilling was economical despite going wicketless, and Caroline de Lange impressed with figures of 2 for 27. Even so, their attack will need considerably greater support to contain a batting lineup as deep as India's.

Key Matchup to Watch

The middle overs are likely to be decisive. India's experienced spinners — particularly Deepti Sharma — are expected to test a Netherlands batting unit with limited exposure to high-quality off-spin. Notably, another convincing win would further bolster India's net run rate in what is shaping up to be a tightly contested Group A.

Match Details and Where to Watch

Date: Wednesday, 17 June 2025
Time: 7:00 PM IST
Venue: Headingley, Leeds, England
Broadcast: Star Sports channels
Live Streaming: JioHotstar

Full Squads

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav

Netherlands: Babette de Leede (c), Caroline de Lange, Frédérique Overdijk, Hannah Landheer, Heather Siegers, Iris Zwilling, Isabel van der Woning, Lara Leemhuis, Myrthe van den Raad, Phebe Molkenboer, Robine Rijke, Rosalie Lawrence, Sanya Khurana, Silver Siegers, Sterre Kalis

With form, firepower, and a formidable spin attack on their side, India will be firm favourites to claim maximum points and consolidate their Group A standing.