The Australia A Women tour of India 2026-27 will begin with India A Women taking on Australia A Women in the first T20 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The match is scheduled to start at 6:00 PM IST and will be played as a night game. Both teams will begin the series with an opportunity to put in a strong performance and start the tour on a positive note. With players from both sides looking to make an impression, the opening match should provide an interesting start to the tour.
India A Women will come into this game after their recent three-match T20 series against England A Women in June 2026. They started that series with a 5-wicket victory, but England A Women won the next two matches by 5 wickets and 6 wickets respectively. Australia A Women, meanwhile, last played T20s against England A Women in March 2025, with the first match ending in a 3-wicket defeat, followed by a no-result in the second game and an abandoned match in the third. Both teams will now begin this tour with a fresh opportunity to perform well. The opening game will also give several players a chance to show what they can bring to their respective teams.
Squads:
India A Women’s Cricket Team
Anushka Sharma (C), Sayali Satghare (VC), Simran Bahadur, Uma Chetry, Shipra Giri, Tejal Hasabnis, Jintimani Kalita, Tanuja Kanwar, Minnu Mani, Niki Prasad, Shweta Sehrawat, Shabnam Shakil, Sujata Dey, Vaishnavi Sharma, Dinesh Vrinda
Australia A Women’s Cricket Team
Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum (C), Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Milly Illingworth, Charli Knott, Anika Learoyd, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Frankie Nicklin, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Tayla Vlaeminck, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson
Players to watch out:
Dinesh Vrinda
Dinesh Vrinda will be one of the batters to watch from the India A Women squad in the opening game. She has scored 184 runs in 7 matches, with a batting average of 26.29 and a strike rate of 116.45. Her recent numbers show that she can score at a good pace while also spending time at the crease. India A Women will want her to make a useful contribution and help the team get a steady start. If Vrinda settles in early, she could play an important role in building the innings against Australia A Women.
Uma Chetry
Uma Chetry will also be an important player for India A Women in this match. She has scored 115 runs in 6 matches, with an average of 23 and a strike rate of 125. Her strike rate shows that she has the ability to keep the scoreboard moving and score quickly when opportunities come her way. She also provides value as a wicketkeeper-batter and will have responsibilities behind the stumps. India A Women will hope that Chetry can make a positive contribution with the bat and help the team during the match.
Tahlia Wilson
Tahlia Wilson is one of the key batters to watch from the Australia A Women squad. She has scored 72 runs in 5 matches, with an average of 36 and a strike rate of 150. Her strike rate is particularly impressive and shows her ability to score quickly once she gets an opportunity. As a wicketkeeper-batter, she can contribute in more than one area for Australia A Women. Wilson will be looking to use her scoring ability effectively and make an impact in the first unofficial T20I of the tour.
Tess Flintoff
Tess Flintoff will be another player to watch for Australia A Women, especially with the ball. She has picked up 3 wickets in 4 matches, while maintaining an economy rate of 5.64 and a bowling strike rate of 22. Her economy rate indicates that she has been able to keep runs under control during her recent appearances. Australia A Women will need disciplined bowling against an India A Women side with several capable batters. Flintoff will be hoping to bowl tightly, create pressure and provide her team with important wickets during the match.
Pitch:
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh has a batting-friendly surface with true bounce and short boundaries, which can help batters score freely. Batters are expected to be able to play their shots through the line once they become comfortable at the crease. Fast bowlers can get some swing with the new ball, so the opening overs could offer them a chance to create early pressure. Spinners may find limited turn from the surface and could have to depend more on variations and accurate lines.
Weather:
The weather at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh is expected to remain sunny during the day and partly cloudy at night on Saturday, September 12. The temperature is forecast to reach a high of 31°C and could fall to around 26°C later in the day. The chance of rain is expected to remain low at around 15% to 20%, which should provide reasonably good conditions for the match.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Dinesh Vrinda, Uma Chetry, Shweta Sehrawat, Sayali Satghare, Anushka Sharma, Minnu Mani, Shabnam Shakil, Tahlia Wilson, Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott, Tayla Vlaeminck
Match Details:
Date – September 12, 2026
Time – 6:00 PM IST
Venue – Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
Broadcast – The match is expected to be available digitally for viewers in India through the BCCI.tv website and BCCI Official App.
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