India women's head coach Amol Muzumdar has admitted the team must urgently rethink its T20 approach after a six-wicket loss to Australia at Lord's eliminated them from the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. The defeat, powered by half-centuries from Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner, left India unable to progress beyond the group stage.
Muzumdar calls for strategic overhaul
Speaking after the match, Muzumdar stressed the need for a fundamental reassessment. "I think we really have to rethink our strategy for our T20 game," he said, as quoted by the ICC. "We really need to put our heads around what combinations we are going to play." The coach backed captain Harmanpreet Kaur to continue leading the side but noted the final decision rests with selectors.
India's chase of 171 was led by aggressive batting, but the bowling and fielding failed to contain Australia. Muzumdar identified these areas as immediate priorities. "With the bat, I think we have been batting with a lot of intent," he said. "We have been positive in our thinking. We have been thinking about fours and sixes. As modern-day cricket is all about, I guess T20 cricket is all about fours and sixes."
Bowling and fielding weaknesses exposed
However, he conceded that the bowling unit underperformed. "It's just that I think our bowling also needs to up the ante a little bit. I don't think our bowling or our fielding helped the cause, to be very honest. So I guess we need to really go back and think about how we're going to approach the T20 game and also be in that positive frame of mind," Muzumdar added.
The coach pointed out that India's bowling attack is relatively young, with top-ranked T20I bowler Sree Charani and pacer Kranti Gaud both under 23. The absence of spinner Shreyanka Patil due to an ankle injury also hurt the team. "If you look at our bowling attack, it's been very inexperienced as far as international cricket is concerned," he noted. "So I've said this before in the previous press conference that give us 18 months and this attack will be a different one."
Australia's dominance continues
Australia's chase was clinical, with Perry and Gardner both hitting half-centuries to overhaul India's total of 170 for 5. The result meant India failed to qualify for the semifinals, a disappointing end to their campaign. Muzumdar acknowledged the gap between India and top teams like Australia, emphasizing the need for rapid improvement in all departments.
The coach's comments come as the Indian women's team looks to rebuild ahead of future T20 competitions. With a young bowling core and experienced batting lineup, Muzumdar believes the side can evolve, but only if they adapt their strategy to the demands of modern T20 cricket.
