By Arjun 
India enters the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup with plenty of credit from a brutal preparation process – and has briefly left behind all the bad times thanks to one explosive innings.
Prior to the global event, the Indian side suffered a few humiliating defeats against South Africa and England. The defeats revealed multiple flaws, and led to questions over whether the team was ready for the world #1. But captain Harmanpreet Kaur has now reckoned that the past losses could end up being a blessing in disguise for this team.
Losing matches, the skipper said, often exposes weaknesses which need to be plugged. Wins may enable some organisations to brush over shortcomings, but defeat informs a team to look in the mirror and audit its methods, identifying areas that present themselves as opportunities for advancement. The struggles India have endured of late has fostered the sort of straightforward dialogue in the dressing room, with both players and coaches collaborating to tackle some issues which had emerged ahead of the build-up.
The bulk of the team meetings were based around trying to understand what went wrong, how they can be more effective as a team in pressure scenarios, and how those lessons will translate onto the field. Harmanpreet stated that lessons learned from the losses would give the team more perspective and motivation going into the World Cup.
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Amidst all the chaos regarding India’s form, Richa Ghosh was one big positive. In the final warm-up game of their tour, the explosive wicketkeeper-batter scored a quick-fire 68 runs off just 36 balls. With her fearless stroke play and intent she reminded everyone what damage she could do in this format of the game.
Richa’s form returning at such an hour could not have been timed better. She was famous for turning the match in 3-4 overs by playing quick and she still is one of dangerous players of India in T20 cricket. And her composure at the crease has alleviated some of the pressure on those in the camp and more importantly – providing comfort to coaching staff and captain alike.
It is October 2023, and with India setting off on their Women’s T20 World Cup journey, the side’s fortunes could hinge around whether they really manage to externally digest past failures into fresh strengths. Richa Ghosh continues to find her thundering touch, And India may well have the momentum to take on the best in the business.