Record run chase eliminates India from T20 World Cup
Defending champions Australia eliminated India from Women's T20 World Cup 2026 contention on Sunday. They successfully completed an unprecedented run chase to secure a six-wicket victory at Lord's. India entered this final Group A match needing a win to stay alive in the tournament. Australia continues its long-standing dominance over India in major global knockout matches, echoing their past victories in recent finals. This victory keeps the reigning champions undefeated in group stage play.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur guided the Indian innings with a blistering 56 runs off 27 balls. She smashed three consecutive sixes in the final over to help India post a competitive 170 for 4. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma laid a strong foundation early on, taking advantage of powerplay fielding restrictions. Jemimah Rodrigues also added valuable runs before retiring hurt. New batter Deepti Sharma struck a boundary on her only delivery to maximize the final total.
Chasing 171, Australia hunted down the target with six balls remaining. They finished comfortably at 172 for 4. Renuka Singh Thakur gave India an early breakthrough by trapping Georgia Voll in the very first over. Deepti Sharma later removed Beth Mooney, officially becoming the highest wicket-taker in women's international cricket history with 356 dismissals.
Despite these Indian breakthroughs, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner completely took the game away. The duo constructed a brilliant 100-run partnership after Australia stumbled to 72 for 3 in ten overs. Both batters scored rapid half-centuries to silence the passionate crowd. Their calm execution ensured the required run rate remained highly manageable. Australia now advances to the semi-finals as heavy favorites, while India faces an early tournament exit today. This disappointing result highlights the urgent need for strategic improvements if India hopes to secure global championships in the future.
