In the shadow of Alyssa Healy’s emotional retirement announced in January 2026, 22-year-old Queensland batter Georgia Voll has emerged as Australia’s bold new opener.
This multi-format series against India, from February 15 to March 9, 2026, featuring three T20Is, three ODIs, and a pink-ball Test at W.A.C.A. in Perth, doubles as Healy’s grand farewell from all cricket formats. With India winning the 1st T20I by 21 runs via DLS at the SCG (where Voll scored a brisk 18 off 10 balls), Australia levelled the series 1-1 with a 19-run victory in the 2nd T20I at Manuka Oval. The decider looms on February 21 at Adelaide Oval, and Voll’s explosive form signals a seamless transition at the top.
Alyssa Healy’s departure leaves a colossal gap, Australia’s third-highest T20I run-scorer and a top-order powerhouse for a decade. Voll, who first filled in temporarily for an injured Healy during her T20I debut against England in Sydney last January, saw that role extend to New Zealand in March 2025. With no further T20Is that year and Healy’s retirement, Voll’s gig became permanent. She’s embraced it with flair, boasting a T20I career average of 39.50 and a blistering strike rate of 149.05 across eight innings.
Georgia Voll’s standout performance came in the 2nd T20I, where her career-best 88 off 57 balls, her first T20I fifty on home soil, eclipsed her previous high of 75 in Wellington, powering Australia to recovery. Paired with Beth Mooney, they forged a record 128-run opening stand against India in T20Is, surpassing the iconic Mooney-Healy (115 runs) partnership from the 2020 T20 World Cup final. This was after Australia’s batting collapse to 133 in 18 overs in the opener, where many got starts but failed to capitalise.
Reflecting post-match, Voll credited Mooney’s guidance, “I was chunking them a lot for the first couple of overs, and then Moons just gave me a quiet word, (telling me) just to keep looking down the ground and the shots will come. We were able to get (on top) of them in the last couple of overs in that Powerplay, which set us up a little bit, and it opened up when those four fielders went out.”
Georgia Voll’s approach adds a fresh edge to Australia’s top order. “I love the opportunity to open the batting for Australia, whenever that opportunity comes, I try and take it with both hands,” she said. “It’s a massive role at the top and to try and fill (Healy’s) shoes, someone that’s been incredible for such a long period of time. Just seeing how she goes about the game, and (now) just being able to put my own little spin on it as well has been super fun.”
The shift demanded ownership after the first game’s disappointment. “We were pretty disappointed with the result the other night, just the way we went about our batting innings was pretty disappointing,” Voll noted. “The difference tonight was just trying to build some partnerships, and it was nice to get out there with Moons and build that up to the top. I’m just enjoying every moment.” As the series intensifies, Voll’s poise alongside Mooney, her longtime training partner, hints at a bright future, honouring Healy’s legacy while carving her own path.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
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