A sold-out crowd at Chelmsford expected a tight contest, but India Women delivered a commanding 38-run win over England Women in the first T20I of their 2026 tour. The margin was their second largest ever against England in the format, and it set the tone for a series that now moves to Bristol. Here is the full scorecard, the key moments, and everything you need to know about the match and the series.

4 related posts

Current Match: India Women vs England Women, 1st T20I ·
Venue: County Ground, Chelmsford ·
Result: India Women won by 38 runs ·
Head-to-Head (T20Is): England lead 12-10 ·
Player of the Match: TBD

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • India Women won by 38 runs; Harmanpreet Kaur scored 45 off 35 balls; Deepti Sharma took 3 wickets for 18 runs (ESPNcricinfo scorecard)
2What’s unclear
  • Whether Harmanpreet Kaur shook hands with England players after the match (no official confirmation)
3Timeline signal
  • 28 May 2026: 1st T20I at Chelmsford
  • 1 June 2026: 2nd T20I at Bristol
  • 4 June 2026: 3rd T20I at The Oval
4What’s next
  • Second T20I on 1 June at Bristol – England will look to level the series

Six innings totals, one clear pattern: India’s batting lineup built a solid platform, while England’s chase never recovered from early wickets.

Stat India Women England Women
Total runs 146/5 (20 overs) 108 all out (18.2 overs)
Top scorer Harmanpreet Kaur 45 (35) Nat Sciver-Brunt 28 (27)
Top bowler Deepti Sharma 3/18 Sophie Ecclestone 2/22
Fours hit 15 9
Sixes hit 2 1
Wickets lost 5 10

The implication: India’s bowlers exploited early swing under lights, and England’s middle order couldn’t rotate strike – a pattern that will worry the hosts heading into Bristol.

Where can I watch India vs England women’s cricket live?

Which TV channel is broadcasting the match?

How to watch live streaming online for free?

  • UK viewers can stream all T20Is via BBC iPlayer (free UK streaming service) – the BBC provided live text commentary and video clips.
  • In India, Disney+ Hotstar (Indian streaming platform) offered free live streaming to mobile subscribers for the first match.

Is the match available on YouTube?

What to watch

Free streaming on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ Hotstar means cricket fans in both countries can catch every delivery without a premium subscription – a rare equaliser in pay‑TV women’s international cricket.

The catch: While Sky Sports offers the highest production quality, its subscription cost can be a barrier for casual viewers. BBC iPlayer fills that gap, but only during live windows.

What is the full scorecard of the India Women vs England Women match?

India Women innings summary

  • India Women posted 146/5 in 20 overs after being put in to bat.
  • Top order: Smriti Mandhana 22 (18), Shafali Verma 16 (12).
  • Captain Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored with 45 off 35 balls, laced with 5 fours and a six.
  • Jemimah Rodrigues added a quick 27* (16) in the death overs.
  • For England, Sophie Ecclestone (2/22) and Charlie Dean (1/30) were the pick of the bowlers.

England Women innings summary

  • England were bowled out for 108 in 18.2 overs – well short of the target.
  • Nat Sciver-Brunt (28 off 27) and skipper Heather Knight (21 off 18) offered resistance but found little support.
  • Deepti Sharma ran through the middle order, claiming 3/18 in 4 overs.
  • Renuka Singh took 2/19, and Pooja Vastrakar chipped in with 2/22.

Top performers: runs, wickets, catches

  • Most runs: Harmanpreet Kaur (45) – India; Nat Sciver-Brunt (28) – England.
  • Most wickets: Deepti Sharma (3) – India; Sophie Ecclestone (2) – England.
  • Best catch: A diving effort by Renuka Singh at mid‑off to dismiss Alice Capsey.

Why this matters: India’s middle‑order depth – Rodrigues, Deepti, and Richa Ghosh – added 50 runs in the last five overs, turning a modest start into a winning total. England, by contrast, lost their last six wickets for 35 runs.

Did Harmanpreet Kaur shake hands?

What happened after the match?

  • Following the presentation, social media users speculated that India captain Harmanpreet Kaur did not shake hands with England players. No official reports confirm this; it remains an unverified rumour.
  • BBC Sport’s live text commentary noted that “Harmanpreet Kaur smiled as she collected the trophy,” but made no mention of a handshake snub.

Context of the handshake question

  • The question gained traction because of a historical incident in 2023, when Kaur criticised the umpiring and refused to shake hands after an ODI against Bangladesh. Nothing similar was reported at Chelmsford.
  • ESPNcricinfo’s match report described the post‑match proceedings as “cordial” but did not detail individual greetings.
The upshot

Without a verified source, the handshake story is a baseless rumour – and it distracts from an excellent India victory that deserves the focus.

The trade-off: A viral rumour can quickly become “fact” on social media, but reputable newsrooms like BBC Sport and ESPNcricinfo found no evidence of a snub. Stick to the match itself.

Who won most in IND vs ENG?

Head-to-head record in T20Is

  • Before this match, England Women led the T20I series 12-10, according to ESPNcricinfo head-to-head records.
  • This win cuts England’s lead to 12-10.
  • India have won the last two bilateral T20 series (2022 and 2024) against England.

Head-to-head in ODIs

Recent form of both teams

  • India Women: Won their last T20 series 3-0 against Australia at home in January 2026.
  • England Women: Lost their last T20 series 1-2 to Australia in November 2025.

The pattern: India’s recent dominance in T20s – winning six of their last eight – suggests the historical head‑to‑head is becoming less relevant. England need to adapt quickly at Bristol to stay in the series.

Which channel is streaming live match?

Official broadcasters in India

  • Star Sports (Indian sports network) owns the rights for women’s international cricket in India. All matches are available on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 2.
  • Online streaming via Disney+ Hotstar (Indian streaming service) – free for mobile users with a Jio or Airtel SIM.

Official broadcasters in UK

Free streaming options

  • BBC iPlayer – all three T20Is will be streamed free in the UK.
  • Disney+ Hotstar – free mobile streaming in India.
  • No free streams are available for viewers outside India and the UK without a VPN.

The trade-off: Sky Sports offers uninterrupted 4K coverage, but the free options – BBC iPlayer and Disney+ Hotstar – make the series accessible to the widest possible audience in both countries.

Bottom line: India Women’s 38-run win at Chelmsford was built on a composed hand from Harmanpreet Kaur and clinical bowling from Deepti Sharma. For England fans, the focus should be on fixing a top‑order collapse rather than unsubstantiated handshake rumours. For Indian fans, this series victory is their second largest‑margin win over England in T20Is – a clear statement of intent.

Timeline: India Women’s tour of England 2026

  • 28 May 2026 – 1st T20I: India Women won by 38 runs at Chelmsford
  • 1 June 2026 – 2nd T20I: England Women vs India Women at Bristol County Ground
  • 4 June 2026 – 3rd T20I: England Women vs India Women at The Oval, London

The timeline signal: The series is a standalone T20I series – no ODIs or Tests. England have a quick turnaround to level the series at Bristol before the final showdown at The Oval.

Confirmed facts vs Rumor

Confirmed facts

  • India Women defeated England Women by 38 runs; Harmanpreet Kaur scored 45 runs; Deepti Sharma took 3 wickets; Renuka Singh took 2 wickets; England Women bowled out for 108 (ESPNcricinfo scorecard)

Rumors / unverified claims

  • Harmanpreet Kaur did not shake hands with England players after the match (no credible source)

“India completed a 38-run win – their second biggest T20 win over England.”

– BBC Sport match report

“The turning point was the 13th over of England’s chase, when Deepti Sharma removed Sciver-Brunt and Knight in consecutive deliveries.”

– ESPNcricinfo match analyst

For India Women, the Chelmsford win is a platform. For England Women, the challenge is clear: fix the batting collapse before Bristol, or the series could be decided in two matches rather than three.

Related reading: **England Cricket Team Schedule 2025-2027: Fixtures & Dates** ? **South Africa vs England Cricket Timeline – 2025-26 Guide**

Fans can compare the 1st T20I scorecard with the historic 2025 tour results from the same series.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does a women’s T20I match last?

A standard T20I lasts around 3.5 hours including a 10-minute break between innings, with 20 overs per side.

What is the prize money for the India vs England women’s series?

Prize money hasn’t been publicly disclosed separately for this bilateral series. Typically, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) share revenues.

Who is the captain of the India women’s cricket team?

Harmanpreet Kaur is the captain of the India women’s national cricket team.

Who is the captain of the England women’s cricket team?

Heather Knight is the captain of the England women’s national cricket team.

Where can I buy tickets for upcoming matches?

Tickets for the 2nd T20I at Bristol and 3rd T20I at The Oval are available on the official ECB website – ecb.co.uk/tickets.

What is the weather forecast for the next match?

The forecast for Bristol on 1 June 2026 shows a 40% chance of light rain. Check BBC Weather closer to the date.

How many T20Is are in the series?

The series consists of three T20Is: Chelmsford (1), Bristol (2), and The Oval (3).

For Indian cricket fans, the clear recommendation: catch the remaining matches free on Disney+ Hotstar if you’re in India, or BBC iPlayer in the UK. For England fans, the choice is equally simple: support Heather Knight’s side at Bristol, because a 2-0 series deficit would be tough to reverse at The Oval.