India-W collide with Australia-W in a must-win T20 World Cup battle at Lord’s
It all boils down to a final showdown at Lord’s as India takes on Australia in a must-win match for the Women in Blue. India currently sit second on the points table with six points and an NRR of 2.268.
Australia leads the group and will secure a semifinal spot unless both India and South Africa win by massive margins. If both teams win, India will progress due to a superior NRR. However, if India lose, they must rely on Bangladesh to pull off an upset against South Africa to keep their campaign alive.
While Australia holds a dominant 27-9 head-to-head record over 37 matches, India carry momentum from a recent 2-1 T20I series win in Australia. India will be looking for a unified batting performance from leaders like Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, or late-innings dominance from Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur. Their bowling has remained solid, with Deepti Sharma, Nandni Sharma, and Sree Charani in excellent form.
Australia remain the tournament's most dominant side, led by Ellyse Perry (127 runs) and Georgia Voll (101 runs). Their bowling attack, featuring Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, and Georgia Wareham, has already accounted for 11 wickets.
Venue Watch:
Lord’s is expected to offer a fair balance. Batters can expect true pace and carry, though they must be watchful against the new ball. Spinners are likely to become more influential as the match progresses.
Match Details:
Match: India vs Australia, ICC Women’s T20I World Cup
Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
Date: 28th June, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Squads:
India:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Nandni Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.
Australia:
Sophie Molineux (c), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
