As the Indian women’s cricket team heads into 2026, confidence is high after their maiden 50-over World Cup triumph last year. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed optimism that Team India can translate their ODI success into the T20 format at the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Pathan highlighted the importance of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), scheduled in January–February, as preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup in June–July. According to him, the tournament will provide match practice, help build squad depth in case of injuries, and give players the opportunity to refine their “power game,” which has notably improved in recent years.

“There will be a lot of options. In case there are any injuries, we will have backups. The group that we have right now has not been there for the past eight to ten years. The advantage would be to play WPL before the WC. Their confidence levels are also very high, and it is not difficult to translate this form into T20Is as well. The power game of our women's players has also improved. So I hope all these factors come together and help us. Once we adapt to English conditions, it would be hard to stop India,” Pathan said.

Former pacer Varun Aaron also commented, noting that Australia, once considered a “bogey team,” had been beaten by India in the World Cup semifinals, giving the team belief in their ability to overcome top opponents. “The momentum is with Team India at the moment; they have got a lot of support from fans and BCCI. There is a very good chance, but Australia would be wanting revenge,” he added.

Team India will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign on June 14 against Pakistan in Birmingham, looking to make their first mark in the shortest format after their historic ODI success.