Women’s World Cup champions flip the script to back men’s T20 WC campaign

New Delhi: JioStar, the official broadcast and digital partner for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026, has released a new film to mark the build-up to the tournament. 

The film features reigning ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup champions Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma, placing them at the centre of the narrative as they lend their voices to the men’s team ahead of the competition.

The film presents a role reversal, with India’s women’s world champions rallying support for the men’s side. It reflects the growing stature of the women’s game, positioning its champions as figures of authority and continuity within Indian cricket’s broader World Cup journey.

Opening with Jemimah Rodrigues recalling the night India lifted the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, the film transitions to the forthcoming challenge for the men’s team. Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma join the narrative, drawing a connection between the two World Cup victories and reinforcing the message of collective national expectation. Through its visual and musical treatment, the film places one group of world champions in the role of supporters for another.

Conceptualised by the JioStar creative team, the campaign links milestones from India’s men’s and women’s cricketing journeys to frame the context for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup being hosted at home. The men’s team enters the tournament as the top-ranked T20I side globally, with the world’s leading T20I batter and bowler in its ranks.

Speaking about the film, Siddharth Sharma, Head, Sports Content, JioStar, said, “As the Indian Men’s Cricket Team prepares to embark on a historic ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, striving to become the first ever back to back champions, it was apt for the reigning women’s World Champions to lead the charge in rallying support for the Men in Blue. This film was created to depict champions cheering champions-- for Team India to repeat history on the biggest stage of all and to energise a billion fans who are longing to see Team India lift the trophy once again at home.”

India will open their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7, followed by matches against Namibia on February 12, Pakistan on February 15, and the Netherlands on February 18. The tournament begins with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands, and matches will be broadcast across JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network from February 7 to March 8.

Watch the campaign films: