Australia crossed the line in 19 overs to maintain their perfect record and top Group 1 with 10 points
Published: June 28, 2026, 11:02 PM IST
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Ellyse Perry hits a six against India in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. (Credits: X)
Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner smashed brilliant half-centuries to guide Australia to a comfortable six-wicket victory over India on Sunday, knocking the subcontinental side out of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The heavy defeat is expected to put immense pressure on Harmanpreet Kaur’s position as India’s T20 captain.
Chasing a target of 171, Australia crossed the line in 19 overs to maintain their perfect record and top Group 1 with 10 points. South Africa also booked a spot in the semifinals after defeating Bangladesh earlier in the day, leaving India third in the standings with just six points.
The six-time champions faced early trouble in their chase, slumping to 68 for 3 inside ten overs. Renuka Singh struck in the very first over, removing Georgia Voll with a delivery that nipped back sharply, before Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney also departed cheaply.
However, veteran all-rounder Ellyse Perry and the powerful Ashleigh Gardner completely turned the game around with a massive 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Perry scored a classy 56 off 38 balls, including eight boundaries, hitting fifty in 33 deliveries.
Gardner was even more aggressive, hitting a 29-ball unbeaten 53, punishing the Indian spinners with massive sixes to reach her half-century in just 29 balls. Though tournament top-wicket taker Sree Charani eventually dismissed Perry, the damage was already done.
Earlier, India chose to bat but finished with an under-par total of 170 for 4, repeating their tournament-long struggles to score quickly. Openers Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34) gave India a solid start with a 66-run opening stand. Despite hitting a few boundaries, they batted too cautiously, ending the Powerplay at 43 for no loss.
The innings derailed when Shafali lost her balance trying to hit Sophie Molineux and was bowled. Soon after, a disastrous mix-up with Jemimah Rodrigues left Mandhana stranded mid-pitch, resulting in an easy run-out.
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Rodrigues struggled to find her rhythm, escaping two dropped catches before being strategically retired out ahead of the final over.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was the lone fighter for India, smashing a quickfire 56 off 27 balls. She brought up her fifty in 26 deliveries and took apart Molineux for three consecutive sixes in a 23-run final over, but it proved insufficient against a clinical Australian batting lineup.
