News Desk : With a place in the knockout stage hanging in the balance, India take on Bangladesh in a crucial Women's T20 World Cup clash at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Thursday. A victory will keep India's qualification hopes firmly on track, while a defeat could leave them dependent on other results.

India enter the contest after a disappointing loss to South Africa and will be eager to bounce back. The spotlight will once again be on openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who have provided explosive starts throughout the tournament. However, concerns remain over the middle order, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia struggling to convert starts into match-defining innings.

India's bowling attack, led by tournament-leading wicket-taker Sree Charani, has been one of the team's biggest strengths. Alongside Deepti Sharma, the spin duo is expected to play a key role on a surface that has increasingly assisted slower bowlers. Bangladesh, meanwhile, arrive high on confidence after their impressive victory over Pakistan. Their spin attack, spearheaded by Nahida Akter and Sanjida Akter Meghla, has emerged as a major threat and could test India's fragile middle order.

History favours India, who have won 20 of their 23 Women's T20I meetings against Bangladesh and are currently on a seven-match winning streak against their Asian rivals. But with World Cup qualification at stake and both teams desperate for points, a fiercely contested battle is expected as the match gets underway in Manchester.