India Women won the toss and opted to bat first against Australia Women in the final group-stage match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord's in London on Sunday. The fixture is a do-or-die encounter for India, who must win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Group A Standings and Semi-Final Scenarios
Australia Women and South Africa Women currently lead Group A with four points each from three matches. India have two points from three games, having won one and lost two. A victory would draw India level with South Africa on points, but India would leapfrog the Proteas into second place due to a superior net run rate. Australia have already qualified for the semi-finals, while South Africa face a must-win match against Sri Lanka later on Sunday.
Toss and Team Changes
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said at the toss, "Going to bat first. Very important game for us, we thought let's just bat freely. One change. Kranti back in place of Nandni. These kind of pitches suit her. It's a fresh day, fresh mind. Today is the day to enjoy ourselves." Kranti Gaud replaced Nandni Sharma in the playing XI.
Australia captain Sophie Molineux confirmed that Australia had planned to bowl first. She said, "Actually we were going to have a bowl. Pheebs is back in, Alana King is missing out. Just conditions and matchups." Phoebe Litchfield returned to the side in place of Alana King.
Playing XIs
India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (w), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud.
Australia Women: Beth Mooney (w), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux (c), Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton.
Match Context and Impact
India have lost their previous two matches against New Zealand and South Africa, leaving them with no margin for error. Australia, the defending champions, have been dominant, winning all three group matches. A win for India would not only keep their campaign alive but also set up a potential semi-final clash against the top team from Group B. The match is being played on a pitch that is expected to assist spinners, which influenced India's decision to include Kranti Gaud.
