15 Years, 9 Attempts, 0 Titles: How Did Team India Perform at Women’s T20 World Cup? Analysis

The Indian women's team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, aims for their first T20 World Cup title in the upcoming tournament in England and Wales. This article details their journey through past tournaments, marked by semifinal exits, a heartbreaking final loss in 2020, and the enduring quest to finally lift the coveted trophy.

India Women's Team at T20 World Cup 2024

Image Credit: Getty

The Indian women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will quest for their maiden T20 World Cup triumph in the upcoming edition of the tournament, which will take place in England and Wales, starting on June 14.

After clinching their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup triumph in November 2025, Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team India will look to complete a historic limited-overs double by securing their first-ever T20 world title. The Women in Blue have been clubbed in Group 1 of the tournament, alongside Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.

Team India will begin their quest for their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup triumph when they take on their arch-rivals, Pakistan, on June 14 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, in what promises to be a high-stakes opener that sets the tone for their group stage campaign.

Team India’s Journey in the Women’s T20 World Cup

Team India will make their 10th appearance at the Women’s T20 World Cup in June this year, aiming for their maiden triumph. In the previous nine appearances, the heartbreak was a recurring narrative, characterized by narrow margins and missed opportunities to get hold of the coveted trophy.

In the first two editions of the marquee event in 2009 and 2010 in England and the West Indies, the Women in Blue reached the semifinals, but lost to Australia and New Zealand, respectively, marking the beginning of a challenging pattern in knockout matches that the team has worked hard to overcome over the last decade and a half.

In the next three editions in 2012, 2014, and 2016 in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India, Team India was knocked out of the group stage consecutively, a difficult phase that highlighted the team's struggle to find consistency and adapt to varying global conditions.

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After three consecutive group stage exits, the Women in Blue, under the leadership of Mithali Raj, bounced back with a semifinal qualification, but the story remained the same, as they failed to make it to the final following a defeat to England in the 2018 edition of the tournament.

In fact, Team India lost to the same opponent who defeated them in the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup final, deepening the frustration of failing to clear that crucial semi-final hurdle. Despite having eventually gone past the group stage for the first time since 2009, the narrative remained eerily familiar.

So Close, Yet So Far Moment for Team India

In 2020, Team India, under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur, witnessed a historic surge that saw them storm into their maiden T20 World Cup final. By remaining unbeaten in the group stage, the Women in Blue carried the hopes of a nation into the summit clash after their semifinal clash against England was abandoned due to rain.

At the MCG, Team India was on the verge of creating history, but as fate would often have it, the pressure of the big stage proved overwhelming, as the Women in Blue lost to Australia by 85 runs in the final, ending their hopes of returning home with a coveted trophy in their hands, signaling yet another heartbreak in their pursuit of global glory.

Though it was the best campaign for Team India, the subsequent years proved that the transition from a top-tier contender to a champion was anything but linear. In 2023, the Women in Blue returned to the semifinals, but only to be defeated by the defending champions, Australia.

In the last edition of the tournament in 2024, the narrative took a frustrating turn as Team India failed to advance past the group stage. Despite securing impressive victories, including a dominant 82-run win over Sri Lanka, the team’s group-stage record of two wins and two losses left them in third place in Group A.

Over the past nine editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup, India has emerged as a consistent powerhouse, reaching the top four in five of their nine campaigns. Yet, that final leap toward the title has remained an elusive milestone, with the upcoming edition in England and Wales serving as a fresh opportunity for the team to capitalize on their recent ODI World Cup success and finally claim their place in T20 history.