Former India captain Mithali Raj has identified power-play bowling as the primary concern for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side at the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, even as India enter their third group-stage game on the back of two consecutive wins. Speaking as an ICC expert at a JioStar Media Day on 19 June, Mithali offered a candid assessment of the team's strengths, vulnerabilities, and the road ahead.

Power-Play Bowling: The Concern Mithali Won't Ignore

'I would not call it a strength,' Mithali said of India's first-six-overs bowling phase. She pointed out that across the last two to three series, Indian seamers had struggled to take early wickets with the new ball — a trend that has carried into the tournament. The absences of Kashvee Gautam and Amanjot Kaur have thinned the seam options, but Mithali stressed that the available resources must find ways to hit the right lengths and exploit conditions. 'Against teams like South Africa and Australia, you want more,' she said.

She noted that India's batting experience — particularly Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur — had bailed the side out after early wicket losses against Pakistan, but cautioned that such rescue acts would be harder to pull off against stronger opponents.

Batting Remains India's Strongest Suit

On the batting front, Mithali was largely positive. She praised Smriti Mandhana's composure and game awareness, highlighting how the opener held her end steady even after losing Shefali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues early in the power play. Richa Ghosh was singled out as an 'integral part' of the lower-middle order in the final five to six overs.

Mithali also backed Yastika Bhatia over Bharti Sharma for a continued place in the XI, arguing that consistency in selection matters more than reactive changes. 'There is no point in changing a player in every game,' she said, adding that Yastika's left-handed batting and recent form in the England series ahead of the World Cup made her the stronger pick.

Bowling Role Clarity: The Bigger Structural Question

Mithali flagged a lack of clear role definition within the bowling unit as a structural issue. With Shreyanka Patil ruled out injured, India's spin options narrow to Radha Yadav and Charani, alongside a single off-spinner. Among the seamers, Nandini Sharma and Kranti Gaud have been given opportunities, and Arundhati Reddy adds another option — but Mithali argued that clarity on who provides breakthroughs versus who tightens the run flow is still missing. 'Deepti Sharma has come and got us the first breakthrough,' she observed, but noted that relying on an all-rounder for the opening wicket is not a sustainable plan against top-tier batting line-ups.

South Africa and Australia: The Key Threats

Looking ahead to India's clash with South Africa on 21 June, Mithali identified Laura Wolvaardt as the player India must dismiss early. She drew a direct parallel with Smriti Mandhana's role for India — both players anchor their respective sides and enable the rest of the batting unit to function. 'If you get Laura's wicket early, you can strangle South Africa,' Mithali said, referencing South Africa's recent game where they recovered from 60 for 2 to post 126 largely on the back of Wolvaardt's anchoring.

On the South African bowling threat, Mithali highlighted Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail as the key dangers, noting Kapp's 'brilliant first spell against Pakistan' and both players' familiarity with Indian batters. She described the contest as a battle of the top four to five players on each side, with experience and momentum in the first six overs likely to be decisive.

For the Australia game, Mithali picked Phoebe Litchfield as the player India should target early, alongside the opening pair of Georgia Wall and Beth Mooney. She argued that Australia's all-round bowling attack — covering seamers, a left-armer in Lucy Hamilton, leg spinners, and off-spinners — leaves India little room for error, and that the margin between the two sides would come down to pressure absorption and in-game decision-making rather than skill alone. 'Skill-wise, the Indian team are not behind,' she said, recalling India's composure in the ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia.

Semi-Final Picture: India and Australia Favourites From Group A

Mithali assessed India and Australia — both with two wins from two — as the likely qualifiers from Group A. From the other group, she tipped England as near-certain qualifiers, with the second spot likely to be contested between West Indies and Sri Lanka, given New Zealand's diminished chances. She gave a slight edge to West Indies for that second berth. The full semi-final picture, however, will depend on how India's remaining two group games unfold.