Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes the Indian women’s cricket team has a genuine opportunity to challenge for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title, pointing to the squad’s experience in English conditions and growing maturity on the international stage as key strengths. India will kick off their World Cup campaign against Pakistan in Birmingham on June 14, with expectations high following a series of encouraging performances in recent months.

Anjum Chopra feels this Indian side is better prepared than previous generations, largely because many of the players have already spent considerable time playing in England through bilateral tours and global tournaments. “England conditions are not alien. Few of them or most of them have already played there, at least the core of this Indian team,” Chopra said while speaking to PTI.

However, the former skipper cautioned against looking too far ahead in a highly competitive tournament. India finds itself in a challenging Group 1 alongside Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. With only two teams progressing to the semi-finals, every match could prove crucial in determining the final standings.

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Chopra emphasised that while Australia and South Africa remain formidable opponents, teams like Pakistan and the Netherlands cannot be underestimated. “Even Pakistan has been playing some very good cricket. And India does not know how Netherlands would come out. They’ve also made it to the World Cup,” she said. “And why should we just forget the fact that there is an Australian team and a South African team in the same pool? So, only two of the teams can qualify for the semi-finals from that pool. So, it’s not going to be very easy.”

One of the biggest positives for India heading into the tournament has been the return of wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia. After recovering from injury, the left-hander made an immediate impact during the ongoing England tour with an impressive half-century in the opening T20I, strengthening India’s batting depth.

Chopra also stressed the importance of flexibility in team selection and batting positions as the World Cup approaches. “I think Indian team will probably need to be a little more open about flexibility in the batting order,” she said. “I feel there needs to be a little more adaptability to the flexibility.”

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With experienced campaigners such as Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues expected to play key roles, India will be hoping that familiarity with conditions, squad depth, and tactical adaptability can help them emerge as serious contenders for the Women’s T20 World Cup crown.