India Women vs Australia Women T20 Series 2026 Live
T20 Series 2026 : The stage is set for a blockbuster transnational rivalry as the Indian Women’s cricket team takes on Australia Women in a multi-format series that began on February 15 at the Sydney Cricket Ground . This isn’t just another bilateral contest—it’s a statement of intent from the reigning ODI World Champions against the most dominant force in women’s cricket history.
For the first time in nearly a decade, Australia do not hold a global trophy, having been dethroned by India in the 2025 ODI World Cup final . That defeat has ushered in a new era for the hosts, with Sophie Molineux taking over the T20I captaincy from the legendary Alyssa Healy, who is playing her farewell series across the ODIs and Test .
With the T20 World Cup scheduled for June-July in England and Wales, this three-match T20I series—followed by three ODIs and a day-night Test in Perth—serves as the ultimate dress rehearsal for both sides .
T20 Series 2026 Overview: What’s at Stake
This multi-format series carries points across all three formats, with two points awarded for each white-ball win and four points for a Test victory (two for a draw) . The winner will be decided by the aggregate points system, adding strategic depth to every match.
For India, this tour represents their first away assignment since their historic ODI World Cup triumph . For Australia, it’s about proving that their decade of dominance isn’t over—and doing so under new leadership.
Current Series Standings (after 2 T20Is) :
- Team Matches Won Lost Points
- India Women 2 1 1 2
- Australia Women 2 1 1 2
- Match Schedule and Results
- Match Date Venue Result
- 1st T20I February 15 Sydney Cricket Ground India won (rain-affected)
- 2nd T20I February 19 Manuka Oval, Canberra Australia won by 9 wickets
- 3rd T20I February 21 Adelaide Oval Upcoming
- 1st ODI February 24 Allan Border Field, Brisbane Upcoming
- 2nd ODI February 27 Bellerive Oval, Hobart Upcoming
- 3rd ODI March 1 Bellerive Oval, Hobart Upcoming
- Only Test March 6-9 WACA Ground, Perth Upcoming
Read Also Here: Pakistan vs England T20 World Cup Super 8
Match Recap: 1st T20I – India Draw First Blood
The series opener at the SCG was a rain-curtailed affair, but India emerged victorious in a dominant display .
After Australia won the toss and elected to bat, Arundhati Reddy produced a career-best performance, running through the Australian batting order with sensational figures of 4 for 22 . Her swing and accuracy proved too much for the hosts, who were restricted to a below-par total.
Rain threatened to have the final say, but India’s bowlers had already done enough. The match ended via the DLS method, with India securing a morale-boosting victory to go 1-0 up in the series . It was exactly the start new Australian captain Sophie Molineux would have wanted to avoid .
Match Recap: 2nd T20I – Australia Strike Back in Canberra
The second T20I at Manuka Oval saw the hosts respond with characteristic resilience. Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first, aiming to level the series.
India’s batting lineup, so dominant in Sydney, found the Canberra surface trickier. While there were contributions, the team couldn’t post a truly commanding total. Australia’s bowling attack, unchanged from the first match, was disciplined and penetrative .
In response, Australia’s chase was clinical. They reached the target with nine wickets in hand, demonstrating exactly why they’ve been the world’s number-one ranked side . The victory squared the series at 1-1, setting up a thrilling decider in Adelaide.
Head-to-Head Record: Australia’s Historical Dominance
The numbers don’t lie—Australia have historically dominated this rivalry, but recent results suggest the gap is narrowing rapidly.
Overall T20I Record :
- Category Record
- Total Matches Played 35
- Australia Wins 26
- India Wins 7
- Tied Matches 1
- No Result 1
Recent Form Guide :
- Australia: W W W W W (last five completed T20Is)
- India: W W W W W (last five completed T20Is)
Both teams enter this series with perfect recent records, but India’s confidence is sky-high after their 5-0 sweep of Sri Lanka in January and their 2025 World Cup triumph .
- Full Squads
- India Women’s T20I Squad
- Player Role Batting Bowling
- Harmanpreet Kaur Captain RHB OB
- Smriti Mandhana Vice-Captain LHB OB
- Shafali Verma Batter RHB OB
- Jemimah Rodrigues Batter RHB OB
- Richa Ghosh Wicket Keeper RHB –
- Uma Chetry Wicket Keeper RHB –
- Deepti Sharma All-rounder LHB OB
- Sneh Rana All-rounder LHB OB
- Amanjot Kaur All-rounder RHB RM
- Arundhati Reddy All-rounder RHB RFM
- Bharti Fulmali Batter RHB –
- Shreyanka Patil Bowler RHB OB
- Renuka Singh Thakur Bowler RHB RFM
- Kranti Gaud Bowler RHB RFM
- Sree Charani Bowler RHB OB
- Vaishnavi Sharma Bowler LHB SLO
Key Inclusions: Bharti Fulmali returns to the T20I setup for the first time since 2019, bringing much-needed power-hitting depth to the middle order . Shreyanka Patil also makes her comeback after recovering from injury .
- Australia Women’s T20I Squad
- Player Role Batting Bowling
- Sophie Molineux Captain LHB SLO
- Phoebe Litchfield Batter LHB OB
- Ellyse Perry All-rounder RHB RFM
- Beth Mooney Wicket Keeper LHB –
- Georgia Voll Batter RHB OB
- Annabel Sutherland All-rounder RHB RFM
- Ashleigh Gardner All-rounder RHB OB
- Tahlia McGrath All-rounder RHB RM
- Grace Harris All-rounder RHB OB
- Nicola Carey All-rounder LHB RM
- Georgia Wareham All-rounder RHB LB
- Kim Garth Bowler RHB RFM
- Megan Schutt Bowler RHB RFM
- Darcie Brown Bowler RHB RF
This is Sophie Molineux’s first series as full-time T20I captain, and her leadership will be tested against the world champions .
Key Players to Watch
Smriti Mandhana (India)
The vice-captain is coming off a standout WPL season where she was the leading run-scorer and led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the title . She recently crossed 4,000 runs in T20Is and warmed up for the series with 36 off 29 balls against the Governor General’s XI . Her record in Australia is solid—400 runs at 28.57—and she’ll be crucial at the top of the order .
Sophie Molineux (Australia)
The new captain faces the toughest possible start to her tenure. Her left-arm orthodox bowling is world-class, but her leadership and tactical decisions will be under the microscope against a confident Indian side . The question of where she bats will be fascinating to watch .
Jemimah Rodrigues (India)
Dubbed the “Aussie-Slayer” after her match-winning performance in the 2025 World Cup semi-final against Australia, Rodrigues remains the most vital cog in India’s tactical wheel . Her ability to rotate strike and accelerate makes her the perfect foil for the big hitters.
Ashleigh Gardner (Australia)
The world’s top-ranked T20 all-rounder can take the game away in a matter of 15 balls . Her off-spin and explosive batting make her the most feared player in the Australian lineup, and India will have specific plans to contain her.
Renuka Singh Thakur (India)
The master of new-ball swing has been India’s spearhead. At venues where evening breeze assists movement, her opening spells against Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll could be match-defining .
Beth Mooney (Australia)
The veteran wicketkeeper-batter needs just 25 runs to overtake Meg Lanning as Australia’s leading run-scorer in T20Is . Her consistency at the top of the order is legendary, and she’ll be desperate to perform in Healy’s farewell series.
Deepti Sharma (India)
Recently became the leading wicket-taker in T20Is, surpassing Megan Schutt’s tally of 151 . Her off-spin and ability to bowl in the powerplay makes her invaluable, and her lower-order hitting adds crucial depth .
Statistical Highlights
Beth Mooney needs 25 runs to become Australia’s all-time leading T20I run-scorer
Kim Garth needs one wicket for 50 in T20Is (42 of which came for Ireland)
Deepti Sharma (152 wickets) recently overtook Megan Schutt (151) as the leading wicket-taker in T20Is
Harmanpreet Kaur played her 356th international in the 2nd T20I, a new record in women’s cricket
Australia have lost only one of their last 19 bilateral T20I series
India’s only previous bilateral series victory in Australia came in 2016 when they won the T20I leg 2-1
The Molineux Era Begins
Sophie Molineux’s appointment as captain raised eyebrows—not because of her playing ability, which is exceptional, but because of her horror run with injuries that has kept her out of cricket for extended periods . Even when announced as captain, it was acknowledged she may be rested at times .
Part of the reason for the general surprise was not a comment on Molineux’s standing as a player—her bowling numbers in white-ball internationals are exceptional—but more the fact that she has missed so much cricket . Being a spin-bowling allrounder could also cause some interesting selection decisions, although when fit she has been considered a first pick .
Molineux spoke about the moment ahead of her captaincy debut: “I think it’ll be pretty surreal. I’ve got a bit of family coming. It sort of has slipped into my mind the last couple of days how it’s going to feel to lead the team out and to sing the anthem” .
India’s Confidence: The World Champions’ Mindset
India arrive in Australia as reigning ODI World Champions, having finally secured that piece of silverware that had long felt game-changing for women’s cricket in the country . Captain Harmanpreet Kaur summed up the team’s mindset:
“That [the World Cup] was a different format, and T20 is a different format. Being world champions always gives you a lot of confidence, but every time you step on the ground, you have to start from ball one. T20 is something that as a team we all really enjoy playing, and playing against Australia is always fun” .
On whether India can now be considered the best team in the world, Harmanpreet added: “We are really working hard to achieve all our targets, so winning the ODI World Cup was one of them. So we are on the right track, we are just working really hard” .
Arundhati Reddy, whose career-best 4/22 won the first T20I, emphasized the team’s belief: “We have belief we can beat any team in the world” .
Alyssa Healy’s Farewell
This series marks the beginning of the end for one of Australia’s greatest-ever players. Alyssa Healy is stepping away from T20Is for this tour, with her final appearances coming in the ODI and Test legs of the series .
The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has been a member of all six of Australia’s T20 World Cup title wins and leaves an indelible legacy on the game . Her aggressive batting at the top of the order revolutionized women’s cricket, and she’ll be determined to sign off with strong performances in her remaining matches.
Looking Ahead: T20 World Cup Implications
With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for June-July in England and Wales, this series is crucial preparation for both teams .
For India, the focus is on solving their historical weakness in power-hitting during death overs. The inclusion of Bharti Fulmali and the matured Richa Ghosh is intended to address exactly that .
For Australia, it’s about building momentum under new leadership and integrating younger players like Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll into the setup while phasing out legends .
The winner of this series—not just the T20I leg but the multi-format contest—will enter the World Cup with significant psychological advantage.
Analysis by Best Pak Mag
This India Women vs Australia Women series is shaping up as one of the most compelling contests in women’s cricket history. For years, Australia’s dominance was absolute—49 wins in 60 ODIs, 26 wins in 35 T20Is—but the gap has narrowed dramatically .
India’s 2025 ODI World Cup victory wasn’t a fluke. It was the culmination of years of investment, the WPL’s impact, and the emergence of a generation of players who no longer fear the yellow jersey. Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh now walk onto Australian grounds believing they belong—and that belief is half the battle.
The first two T20Is perfectly illustrated the dynamics of this rivalry. India’s victory in Sydney showcased their bowling depth and tactical execution. Australia’s response in Canberra demonstrated why they’ve been champions for so long—they absorb pressure, adapt, and strike back.
The third T20I in Adelaide is now a series decider, and it’s impossible to call. Australia have the home advantage and historical edge. India have momentum and the confidence of world champions.
What’s clear is that women’s cricket is the winner. When the world’s number-one ranked side faces the reigning world champions in a high-stakes contest, with a T20 World Cup on the horizon, cricket fans are treated to the absolute best the sport has to offer.
The series continues in Adelaide on February 21, then moves to Brisbane and Hobart for the ODIs, before culminating in a historic day-night Test at the WACA. Buckle up—this rivalry is just getting started.
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