The Indian women’s team needed a great start in their last group stage game against Australia. Opening batters Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma didn’t disappoint the fans when they walked out at Lord’s
in what was deemed as the virtual quarter-final for India in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Mandhana and Shafali joined forces to stitch a 66-run partnership for the first wicket, marking India’s highest opening stand against Australia in Women’s T20 World Cup history. They bettered their previous best of 41, between Mandhana and Shafali, in Sydney in 2020.
India’s Opening Partnerships Against Australia In Women’s T20Is
| Partners | Runs | Edition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulakshana Naik, Punam Raut | 2 | 2010 | Gros Islet |
| Amita Sharma, Punam Raut | 29 | 2012 | Galle |
| Taniya Bhatia, Smriti Mandhana | 5 | 2018 | Province |
| Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana | 41 | 2020 | Sydney |
| Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana | 2 | 2020 | Melbourne |
| Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana | 11 | 2023 | Cape Town |
| Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana | 26 | 2024 | Sharjah |
| Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana | 66 | 2026 | London |
India posted a competitive yet slightly underwhelming 170 for 4 against Australia in a must-win Women’s T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, riding on captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s blistering 56 off just 27 balls. With South Africa moving to second place after beating Bangladesh earlier, India must win to stay in contention.
Openers Smriti Mandhana 38 and Shafali Verma 34 provided a steady start, adding 66 runs, but the scoring rate stayed modest. Shafali fell while trying to accelerate, and Mandhana was run out after a mix-up with Jemimah Rodrigues, who made 34 off 28.
Rodrigues struggled to lift the tempo despite being dropped twice and was retired out late in the innings. Harmanpreet then provided the late surge with a fluent knock, hitting three consecutive sixes in the final over. India collected 23 runs in the last over to reach 170, a total that could still test the six-time champions.
