India’s campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 came to an end after a six-wicket defeat against Australia in their final Group A match. It was a must-win contest for India, but Australia once again delivered under pressure to secure a place in the semi-finals alongside South Africa.
After winning the toss, India opted to bat first and posted 170/4 in their 20 overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with a brilliant 56. Smriti Mandhana scored 38, while Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues added valuable 34-run contributions.
India looked set to post a bigger total after a strong middle phase. However, the batting side lost momentum in the closing overs and could not fully capitalise on the platform. Those missed runs eventually proved costly.
Australia faced early setbacks as Renuka Singh dismissed Georgia Voll in the opening over. India also removed Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney to put the defending champions under pressure. The early breakthroughs briefly shifted momentum in India’s favour.
The match turned when Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner stitched together a match-winning century partnership. Their calm approach and positive stroke play gradually took control of the chase. Perry scored 56 before falling late, while Gardner remained unbeaten on 53 to guide Australia home in the 19th over.
Sri Charani claimed two wickets for India, while Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma picked up one each. Despite the bowlers making early inroads, India could not stop Australia’s experienced middle order from sealing the victory.
The defeat ended India’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals. While the team showed flashes of quality throughout the tournament, the inability to overcome Australia in a crucial match once again proved decisive in their World Cup campaign.
