India Prepares for T20I Series Against Australia Ahead of Women's T20 World Cup
The Indian women's cricket team is set to embark on their tour of Australia, kicking off with the first T20I in Sydney this Sunday as part of their preparations for the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, India aims to make a strong impression. For Australia, this series is significant as it marks the farewell of skipper Alyssa Healy during the ODI and Test matches, with Sophie Molineux stepping in as the T20I captain and future all-format leader.
India has been actively competing in T20Is, having recently completed a clean sweep against Sri Lanka in a five-match series following their ODI World Cup victory last December. Many key players also showcased their skills in the Women's Premier League (WPL).
In contrast, Australia has only played three T20Is in the past year, all against New Zealand. Their limited recent T20I experience could be a factor in potentially facing a series defeat at home, especially considering they have lost only one of their last 19 bilateral series, according to statistics from ESPNCricinfo.
Ahead of the match, Indian captain Harmanpreet expressed the team's determination to meet their goals, including defeating Australia on their home turf before the T20 World Cup in the UK. She stated, "We are really working hard to achieve all our targets. Winning the (ODI) World Cup was one of them, so we are on the right track. We are just working really hard, and hopefully we will keep bringing our best whenever we play. We know Australia are very strong. We have seen they have been playing really good cricket for such a long time. One thing is very clear, whenever you go with a great mindset and a good, positive approach, you can always bring your best."
Conversely, Molineux emphasized the importance of continuity despite recent semifinal finishes in the last two ICC events, the Women's World Cup 2025 and T20 World Cup 2024. She remarked, "I do not think it is big changes. I do not think any of us think that. It is probably really small things that you have to keep evolving as the game does around you. There is definitely some learning to have been had from those (losses) ... but we are in a really lucky and fortunate (place), we have got generational talent at both ends of their careers in Phoebe Lichfield and Annabel Sutherland, then Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt as well at the other end and everything in between. It is about bringing that all together and fine-tuning the way we want to play."
Wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney is on the verge of breaking a significant record, needing just 25 runs to surpass the legendary Meg Lanning as Australia's leading run-scorer in women's T20Is. Currently, Mooney has accumulated 3,381 runs in 112 matches and 106 innings, boasting an impressive average of 42.26 and a strike rate of 125.73, including two centuries and 27 fifties.
India Women Squad: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Amanjot Kaur, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Gunalan Kamalini.
Australia Women's Squad: Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney(w), Georgia Voll, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Kim Garth, Sophie Molineux(c), Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Grace Harris, Nicola Carey, Georgia Wareham.