Australia secured a convincing six wicket victory over India at Lord’s to book their place in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi finals, while ending India’s hopes of lifting their first ever T20 World Cup trophy. The Australian side continued their impressive group stage campaign by winning all five matches and finishing at the top of the standings.
India entered the must win contest knowing only a victory would keep their semi final dreams alive after South Africa strengthened their qualification chances earlier in the day. Batting first, India posted a competitive 170 for 4, thanks to a brilliant innings from captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who smashed 56 runs from just 27 balls. Her explosive knock included six boundaries and three massive sixes.
Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma laid a solid foundation with a valuable 66 run partnership. However, India’s middle order struggled to accelerate during the middle overs despite Jemimah Rodrigues contributing a useful 34 before retiring out near the end of the innings.
Australia’s chase did not begin perfectly after opener Georgia Voll was dismissed on just the second ball. However, experienced all rounder Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner completely shifted the momentum with a magnificent 100 run partnership. Perry played a composed knock of 56 from 38 deliveries, while Gardner remained unbeaten on 53 off 29 balls, guiding Australia to victory with one over remaining.
After the match, Ellyse Perry, who was named Player of the Match, praised her partnership with Gardner and said the team stayed calm after the early wicket. She also stressed that Australia’s complete focus is now on winning the semi final before thinking about the title.
The defeat ended India’s campaign and marked their second consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup in which they failed to reach the semi finals. Australia will now take on West Indies on Tuesday for a place in the final, while India will be left reflecting on another missed opportunity despite posting one of their highest World Cup totals against Australia.
