ODI champions India suffer women’s T20 World Cup heartbreak, crash ahead of semi-finals

India are the reigning ODI world champions, but their wait for a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title continues. On Sunday 28 June, India crashed out of the tournament after suffering a six-wicket defeat to Australia in a virtual knockout match. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team played their first ever T20I at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, but the historic event ended in heartbreak.

Chasing 171, Australia found themselves under pressure as India pushed the required run rate close to 10. However, inconsistent bowling, missed fielding chances and an inability to hold their nerve under pressure allowed the defending champions to wrest control. It was another painful exit for India by Australia, who were also out of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 after losing to the same opponents in the group stage.

India vs Australia Women’s World Cup T20: Update | Scorecard

Sunday’s result was like déjà vu for India, while Australia got a measure of revenge. After being knocked out by India in the semifinals of the Women’s ODI World Cup last November, the Australians responded by ending India’s World T20 campaign and extending their wait for the coveted title.

India’s defeat also confirmed South Africa’s progress to the semi-finals. After opening their campaign with a loss to Australia, the Proteas bounced back impressively with four straight wins to qualify. Meanwhile, Australia cruised into the last four with a perfect record, winning five times from five matches in the group stage.

SHAFALI, SMRITI GIVE INDIA A FLYING START

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma provided the perfect platform for India with an even but positive start in the powerplay. After a cautious start from Lucy Hamilton yielded just three runs, Mandhana shifted gears in style and hit Kim Garth for two consecutive boundaries to get India’s innings moving.

While Shafali had limited opportunities at first, she made an immediate impact once she found her rhythm. The aggressive opener took on Ashleigh Gardner, elevated her for a boundary before hitting a superb six over extra cover to put the Australian attack under pressure. Her fearless stroke play complemented Mandhana’s elegant timing, with the left-hander regularly finding leg-side gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Australia introduced Ellyse Perry before the end of the over in a bid to break the partnership, but the Indian openers remained untroubled. Mandhana continued to pile on with sharp boundaries while Shafali mixed aggression with smart placement as India reached 43 for no loss after six overs, laying a solid foundation for the middle order.

INDIA’S LOSS TO THE WORLD

India’s impressive start dissipated within seven deliveries as Australia struck twice in quick succession to wrest the momentum away. After Mandhana and Shafali put on 66 runs in 9.1 overs, the defending champions battled through Sophie Molineux and a costly mix between the wickets.

The breakthrough came when Molineux dismissed Shafali, who lost his footing while attempting an inside-out shot over covers and saw it knocked back by the off-stump. The opener departed after a smooth 34 off 26 balls, laced with three fours and two sixes.

India suffered another major setback two overs later when Mandhana was run out after a miscommunication with Jemimah Rodrigues. Jemimah’s back move went straight to the back point, but Mandhana had already committed to an escape and was trapped as Georgia Wareham completed the layoff. Mandhana’s 38 off 37 balls with six boundaries came to an unfortunate end.

On her way back, Mandhana was seen exchanging a few words with Jemimah before tapping her co-star on the shoulder, calming her down after the costly mess.

HARMANPREET TAKES THE FEE

After India lost both openers in quick succession, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues rebuilt the innings before launching a timely onslaught in the death overs. The pair added 85 runs for the third wicket, with Jemimah playing a perfect supporting role through a composed 34 off 28 balls, including a four and a six, to keep the scoreboard moving.

Meanwhile, Harmanpreet shifted gears brilliantly. The skipper found boundaries at regular intervals before unleashing Sophie Molineux’s stunning hat-trick of sixes in the final. First she danced down the track to lift the spinner straight back over her head, then cleared the long shot with another authoritative stroke before launching her third consecutive maximum in the same area.

The breathtaking burst of power helped Harmanpreet race to a 25-ball half-century, the fastest by an Indian woman in Women’s T20 World Cup history, eclipsing her own 27-ball effort against Sri Lanka in 2024.

Harmanpreet eventually fell for a blistering 56 off 27 deliveries, an innings studded with six fours and three sixes, as India finished on a challenging 170/6, setting Australia a target of 171 for victory.

INDIA CHIP IN WITH REGULAR WICKETS

India steadily strengthened their grip on the chase in the first 10 overs with disciplined bowling and crisp fielding, reducing Australia to 72 for 3 while pushing the required run rate up to 9.90. The breakthrough came early when Renuka Singh dismissed Georgia Volla who edged a rising delivery to the keeper to give India the ideal start.

Australia responded with a 50-run partnership between Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney, but the Indian spinners struggled for control during the middle overs. Shree Charani broke the stand by removing Litchfield for 24 off 25 balls, unleashing an ill-timed lofted drive that caught Smriti Mandhan comfortably at long-on.

Deepti Sharma then struck another decisive blow by dismissing Beth Mooney for 22 off 20 balls. Attempting to clear leg, Mooney only managed to carry the ball towards long-on where Radha Yadav completed a safe catch.

The wicket was Deepti’s 356th in international cricket, surpassed by Jhulan Goswami to become India’s highest wicket taker in international cricket across all formats. The three wickets ensured Australia looked to build sustained momentum and remained firmly behind the required pace throughout the first half of their chase.

More to follow…

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

28 Jun 2026 22:39 IST