India Crash Out of Women's T20 World Cup 2026 as Australia Script Record Chase at Lord's
India's Women's T20 World Cup campaign ended in heartbreak after Australia chased down a record 171-run target at Lord's. Harmanpreet Kaur starred with the bat, while Deepti Sharma became India's highest wicket-taker in women's international cricket despite the defeat.
June 29, 2026: India's campaign at the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup came to a disappointing end after a six-wicket defeat to Australia in their final Group Stage match at Lord's on Sunday. Needing a victory to qualify for the semi-finals, Harmanpreet Kaur's side failed to defend a competitive total of 170, suffering a second consecutive group-stage exit in the tournament.
The defeat was made even more painful as several Indian cricket icons, including Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and former head coach Ravi Shastri, watched from the stands. Australia, meanwhile, chased down the highest-ever target in Women's T20 World Cup history to finish at the top of the group, while South Africa progressed to the semi-finals as the second-placed team.
India's decision to bat first in overcast English conditions proved costly. The morning cloud cover made batting difficult, and although the top order got starts, the scoring rate remained below expectations. Shafali Verma made 34, while Smriti Mandhana contributed 38 before being run out. Jemimah Rodrigues added 34 off 28 balls, but the innings lacked momentum during the middle overs.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur once again led from the front with a stunning unbeaten 56 off just 27 deliveries. Her late assault, which included three consecutive sixes in the final over, lifted India to a competitive total of 170/4. Earlier, Mandhana and Shafali had stitched together a 66-run opening partnership to provide a solid platform, but the middle-order slowdown prevented India from posting an even bigger total.
Australia won by 6 wickets.
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) June 28, 2026
Well fought, #WomenInBlue
Thank you for all the support as our #T20WorldCup 2026 campaign draws to a close.
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/WlUV2rjwTj #TeamIndia | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/redauShDeH
Australia recover after early setbacks to seal a semi-final berth
India made the perfect start with the ball as Renuka Singh Thakur trapped Georgia Voll lbw after a successful review. Australia were further pushed onto the back foot when Shree Charani dismissed Phoebe Litchfield and Deepti Sharma removed Beth Mooney, reducing the defending champions to 68/3 after 10.1 overs.
At that stage, Australia still needed 103 runs from 59 balls, and India appeared firmly in control. However, experienced campaigners Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner completely changed the course of the match with a brilliant 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
The momentum shifted dramatically as Australia targeted India's bowlers in the middle overs. Radha Yadav conceded 17 runs in the 13th over, while Charani leaked 16 runs two overs later. Shafali Verma and Renuka Singh also proved expensive, allowing Australia to take complete control of the chase.
Perry played a composed knock of 56 from 38 balls before being dismissed, while Gardner remained unbeaten on 53 off just 29 deliveries. Australia eventually reached the target with six wickets in hand and one over remaining, completing the highest successful run chase in Women's T20 World Cup history.
Deepti Sharma achieves historic milestone despite India's heartbreak
While India's World Cup campaign ended in disappointment, Deepti Sharma produced a memorable personal achievement. The experienced all-rounder claimed her 356th international wicket to surpass Jhulan Goswami and become India's highest wicket-taker in women's international cricket.
Despite the historic milestone, the result overshadowed the celebration as India once again bowed out in the group stage, having also failed to reach the knockouts in the 2024 edition. Questions are now likely to be raised over India's inability to convert promising positions into victories in major ICC tournaments.
For Australia, the victory underlined why they remain one of the strongest teams in world cricket. Their composed chase, led by Perry and Gardner, secured top spot in the group and extended their quest for another Women's T20 World Cup title. India, meanwhile, will return home with plenty to reflect on after another campaign that promised much but ultimately ended in disappointment.
