Australia knock India out of Women’s T20 World Cup as Perry and Gardner shine at Lord’s

India were knocked out of the Women's T20 World Cup after Australia chased down their target of 171 with an over to spare at Lord's on Sunday, securing a six-wicket victory that maintained the defending champions' flawless record in the group stage.

India were knocked out of the Women’s T20 World Cup after Australia chased down their target of 171 with an over to spare at Lord’s on Sunday, securing a six-wicket victory that maintained the defending champions’ flawless record in the group stage. The result ended India’s hopes of securing their maiden T20 World Cup title and completing a double after their triumph in the One-Day International World Cup last year.

Australia suffered an early setback when opener Georgia Voll fell to the second ball of the chase, but Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner steadied the innings with a 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Perry made 56 off 38 deliveries before being dismissed by Shree Charani, while Gardner remained unbeaten on 53 from 29 balls to guide Australia to the top of the group and into the semi-finals. “We obviously got to see how India bat and knew it was a good wicket and just needed a good partnership,” Perry, who was named player of the match, said. “Hopefully, two more wickets to go.”

India had entered the match needing a victory to progress after South Africa boosted their own qualification chances with a four-wicket win over Bangladesh in a low-scoring game. India posted 170 for four, powered by captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s blistering 56 off 27 balls, including three sixes and six fours. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma provided a solid platform with a 66-run stand, but the middle order struggled to maintain momentum. Jemimah Rodrigues scored 34 off 28 balls before being retired out in the closing stages, and Harmanpreet accelerated to lift India to their highest total against Australia in a Women’s T20 World Cup match, though it proved insufficient.

The defeat marked the second successive edition in which India had failed to reach the semi-finals, following their group-stage exit in 2024. Defending champions New Zealand were eliminated on Saturday after suffering a nine-wicket defeat. Australia will now face the West Indies in the semi-finals on Tuesday, as they continue their pursuit of a record-extending seventh T20 World Cup title. For India, the loss at Lord’s will be a bitter pill to swallow, as a campaign that began with high hopes ended in heartbreak at the hands of their most formidable rivals.