Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, played a super knock with the bat during India’s fifth Group A match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday (June 28), bringing up her half-century in just 25 balls against Australia at Lord’s.
Her 25-ball fifty at the Home of Cricket helped her break her own record for the fastest half-century by an Indian batter in the history of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
5️⃣6️⃣ Runs
2️⃣7️⃣ Balls
6️⃣ Fours & 3️⃣ SixesFastest FIFTY by an Indian in WT20 WCs 👏
A gem of a knock from Captain Harmanpreet Kaur 💎
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/WlUV2rjwTj #T20WorldCup | #WomenInBlue | #AUSvIND | @ImHarmanpreet pic.twitter.com/MFfPDIyUKb
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) June 28, 2026
Harmanpreet had previously
held the record with a 27-ball half-century against Sri Lanka during the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai.
Fastest 50s for India in Women’s T20 World Cup
| PLAYER | BALLS | AGAINST | VENUE | DATE |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 25 | Australia | Lord’s | June 28, 2026 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 27 | Sri Lanka | Dubai | October 9, 2024 |
The Indian skipper scored 56 off just 27 balls, smashing six fours and three sixes. She reached her fifty in style by hitting Australia captain Sophie Molineux for three consecutive sixes in the final over of India’s innings.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur turning it up for India with an attacking half-century 🫡
Watch the #T20WorldCup LIVE, broadcast details 👉 https://t.co/niBjzedxPu pic.twitter.com/8cgUDS7O0y
— ICC (@ICC) June 28, 2026
Harmanpreet’s 25-ball half-century is also the third-fastest fifty against Australia in the history of women’s T20Is.
Fastest 50s in Women’s T20Is against Australia
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | BALLS | VENUE | YEAR |
| Deandra Dottin | West Indies | 22 | Taunton | 2009 |
| Sophie Dunkley | England | 24 | Sydney | 2025 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | India | 25 | Lord’s | 2026 |
| Hayley Matthews | West Indies | 26 | North Sydney Oval | 2023 |
The record for the fastest half-century by an Indian batter in Women’s T20 Internationals is held by Richa Ghosh. The wicketkeeper-batter from West Bengal reached the 50-run mark in just 18 balls against West Indies in Navi Mumbai on December 19, 2024.
Fastest 50s for India in Women’s T20Is
| PLAYER | BALLS | AGAINST | VENUE | DATE |
| Richa Ghosh | 18 | West Indies | Navi Mumbai | December 19, 2024 |
| Shafali Verma | 23 | England | Birmingham | June 12, 2025 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 24 | New Zealand | Wellington | February 6, 2019 |
| Shafali Verma | 24 | Sri Lanka | Thiruvananthapuram | December 26, 2025 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 25 | England | Mumbai (BS) | March 23, 2018 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 25 | Sri Lanka | Sylhet | October 15, 2022 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 25 | Australia | Lord’s | June 28, 2026 |
The half-century against Australia was also Harmanpreet Kaur’s fifth fifty as India’s captain in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. With that knock, she joined England’s Charlotte Edwards and Australia’s Meg Lanning, who also scored five half-centuries each as captains during their illustrious careers.
The trio now share the record for the most fifty-plus scores by a captain in the history of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
