Australia Women outclassed India Women by six wickets with six balls to spare in the 30th match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord's. After being asked to bat first, India Women posted 170/4 in 20 overs. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave India a solid start, adding 66 runs for the first wicket. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur played a breathtaking half-century that helped India reach the 170-run mark. It was the highest total ever scored against Australia in the tournament. Sophie Molineux (2/46 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler for Australia Women.
While chasing, Renuka Singh gave India an early breakthrough by dismissing Georgia Voll with the second ball of the innings. However, Australia's experienced stars Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner responded with match-winning half-centuries to guide their team home. Shree Charani (2/32 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler for India Women.
With this win, Australia Women knocked India Women out of the tournament, while South Africa Women advanced to the semi-finals.
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana Give India a Solid Start
India's opening pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana adopted a cautious approach during the powerplay. Mandhana rotated the strike well and punished any delivery on her pads, collecting four boundaries on the leg side. Meanwhile, Shafali looked more aggressive against the spinners, especially Ash Gardner. She hit both a four and a six in Gardner's opening over.
The pair avoided taking unnecessary risks and built a steady opening partnership. As a result, Australia failed to take a wicket during the powerplay, something they had managed in almost every meeting between the two teams since the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup semi-final.
Shafali continued attacking Gardner after the powerplay and collected another six and four in the ninth over. However, Australian captain Sophie Molineux responded immediately by dismissing her with the very first ball of her spell, knocking over the off stump.
Jemimah Rodrigues began confidently by driving beautifully over the covers for four. However, poor communication between the batters resulted in a costly run-out. Rodrigues watched the ball after playing a reverse sweep and failed to respond to Mandhana's call, leaving the opener stranded. Mandhana departed after scoring 38 from 37 balls.
Harmanpreet Kaur Changes the Momentum
India's scoring rate remained just above seven runs an over when Harmanpreet Kaur walked to the crease. As the sun appeared over Lord's, so did India's attacking intent.
Unlike the earlier batters, Harmanpreet consistently looked for boundaries with powerful and well-placed strokes. Even though Australia's disciplined bowling and the slightly slow surface prevented India from scoring freely, Harmanpreet steadily lifted the run rate.
India reached 134 for 2 after 18 overs following a quiet over from Sophie Molineux that produced only seven runs without a boundary. The third-wicket partnership had already crossed fifty, but Harmanpreet was preparing for an explosive finish.
Harmanpreet's Late Assault Lifts India to Record Total
The final overs completely transformed India's innings.
Shortly after Harmanpreet struck her sixth boundary, Jemimah Rodrigues survived twice in consecutive deliveries. Georgia Wareham failed to hold onto a catch at deep square leg, which instead went for six, before Nicola Carey dropped another difficult opportunity while diving forward from long-off.
India then made a tactical decision by retiring Rodrigues out to bring in power-hitter Richa Ghosh. However, Ghosh hardly faced any deliveries as Harmanpreet dominated the final over.
The Indian captain smashed three consecutive sixes, although Australia's fielding mistakes again helped her cause. Her first two straight sixes brought up a stunning half-century from only 25 balls, the fastest by an Indian batter in Women's T20 World Cup history.
Attempting a third straight six, Harmanpreet benefited from another dropped chance when Phoebe Litchfield failed to complete the catch near the boundary. She was finally dismissed after scoring a superb 56 from just 27 deliveries.
A top edge from Deepti Sharma on the final ball added more runs, completing a 23-run final over and lifting India to 170 for 5, a total that had looked unlikely just a few overs earlier.
India and Australia Exchange Early Blows
Australia's chase started aggressively as Georgia Voll hit a boundary from the opening delivery. However, Renuka Singh responded immediately by trapping Voll leg before wicket with the help of a successful review that overturned the umpire's original decision.
Phoebe Litchfield counterattacked with consecutive boundaries against Kranti Gaud, but India quickly tightened the scoring. Renuka Singh and Shafali Verma conceded only one run each in the following overs, increasing the pressure on Australia's batting line-up.
Beth Mooney finally released the pressure with two boundaries on the leg side before Litchfield launched a straight six in a productive over from Shafali. Australia reached 49 runs during the powerplay and remained comfortably in the chase.
Perry and Gardner Take Control After India's Spinners Strike
The match remained evenly balanced midway through the chase. India gained the upper hand when tournament-leading wicket-taker Shree Charani dismissed Litchfield, who had returned after missing three matches through injury. Litchfield mistimed her shot to long-off after scoring 24. Three overs later, Deepti Sharma removed Beth Mooney as Australia suddenly found themselves needing 99 runs from the final ten overs.
At that stage, Ellyse Perry showcased her vast experience. Instead of forcing big shots, she consistently found gaps around the field and rotated the strike. At the other end, Ash Gardner regularly attacked from the air and cleared the boundary whenever loose deliveries arrived.
Gardner's Counterattack Turns the Match
India looked to be in control when Australia required 86 runs from 48 balls. However, Gardner immediately shifted the momentum. She struck a four and a six from consecutive deliveries after Radha Yadav missed her lengths. Perry then added another boundary to complete a crucial 17-run over.
The pressure continued to swing Australia's way. Two overs later, Gardner slog-swept Shree Charani for another six before Perry added another boundary. The 16-run over reduced Australia's equation to just 46 runs from the final five overs.
As Australia's confidence grew, India's fielding standards began to slip. A few misfields and frequent bowling changes reflected the increasing pressure on the defending bowlers.
Australia Complete Historic Chase
With the required run rate falling rapidly, Perry and Gardner took complete control. Perry reached a composed half-century from 33 deliveries with another straight boundary. Gardner soon followed by bringing up her own fifty from just 28 balls, effectively ending India's hopes.
Perry eventually departed after scoring 56, but the result was already within Australia's reach. Georgia Wareham struck the winning runs to complete the highest successful chase in Women's T20 World Cup history and send Australia into the semi-finals once again.
For India, it was another painful exit after falling short in a must-win group-stage match against their biggest rivals. Meanwhile, Australia's experienced players once again delivered when it mattered most, keeping their title defence firmly on track.