India has made a strong start to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, securing back-to-back victories against Pakistan and the Netherlands. However, their campaign has been dealt a significant blow after Shreyanka Patil suffered an ankle injury during the match against the Netherlands at Headingley.

Patil, who had only recently returned to the national setup after a lengthy layoff due to shin splints and a thumb fracture, twisted her right ankle while fielding off her own bowling. The injury has ruled her out of the remainder of the tournament, with leg-spin all-rounder Prema Rawat named as her replacement.

Former India captain and ICC World Cup expert Mithali Raj described the development as a major setback. "It definitely will be a setback because the support staff had strategies and tactical plans in place for her. She was coming back from a year-long injury and was looking forward to this World Cup. It's tough for any player to miss out on a global stage," Mithali said during a JioStar Media Day interaction.

Patil's absence compounds India's woes, as the team is already without seam-bowling all-rounders Amanjot Kaur and Kashvee Gautam due to back and knee injuries, respectively. Her skill in challenging left-handed batters and bowling in the death overs will be sorely missed.

Mithali suggested that Radha Yadav, a left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder, is best placed to fill the third spinner's role alongside N Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma. "India's strength has been spinners, and Radha Yadav has done decently well. She is someone who would step into Shreyanka's role," she added.

The batting legend also raised concerns over India's middle-order, pointing out that the team has been losing wickets in clusters, putting pressure on incoming batters like Richa Ghosh. Against Pakistan, Bharti Fulmali fell for a duck, while Yastika Bhatia managed just three runs against the Netherlands. With tough matches against South Africa and Australia coming up, Mithali stressed the need for partnerships in the middle order to give Richa a better platform to launch in the final overs.

On the bowling front, Mithali questioned the exclusion of experienced pacer Renuka Singh Thakur from the opening game against Pakistan, suggesting it indicated rhythm concerns. However, she added that a three-seamer attack could be viable depending on pitch conditions, citing the green surface at Leeds as an example.

"Whichever combination you pick, the bowlers need to be in the zone to execute their plans. If an experienced bowler isn't in rhythm, there's no point playing her just because she has played many games," Mithali concluded.