India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has said her team will take confidence from last year’s memorable win over Australia as they get ready for a must-win clash in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord’s on Sunday.
India kept their semi-final hopes alive after beating Bangladesh by five wickets in Manchester. However, they now face their toughest challenge of the tournament against six-time champions Australia. A win will give India a great chance of reaching the semi-finals, while a defeat could end their World Cup journey.
Soon after India’s victory over Bangladesh, Harmanpreet was asked about the big match against Australia. The India captain quickly looked back at last year’s exciting semi-final win over Australia in Navi Mumbai, a victory that helped India go on to win their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title.
That famous victory is still fresh in the minds of the Indian players and has given the team plenty of confidence before another high-pressure game against one of the strongest sides in women’s cricket.
“I think the last win against them in Navi Mumbai, that has given us a lot of confidence and broken a lot of barriers,” Harmanpreet recalled with pride. “And hopefully we’ll play our best cricket on that day (Sunday against Australia).”
It has been almost eight months since India defeated Australia in that unforgettable World Cup semi-final. Since then, the two teams have also met in a three-match T20I series in Australia earlier this year, where India won the series 2-1.
Those recent results have shown that India are capable of beating Australia, and Harmanpreet believes her side always enjoys playing against one of the best teams in the world.
The India skipper said her team likes facing Australia because those matches always bring out their best cricket. She also knows how important Sunday’s game is, with a place in the semi-finals depending on the result.
“They (Australia) are one of our favourite opposition and hopefully our best will come on that day (Sunday),” Harmanpreet added. “We know that these tournaments when every game is must win and sometimes when things that doesn’t go your way, you have to at this point, you have to, give your best. And I think that game is very important. And if we win that, I think we will definitely get a lot of confidence from that.”
India will go into the match after an important win over Bangladesh, where opener Shafali Verma played a brilliant innings and scored a quick half-century. She was named Player of the Match for her performance. That victory helped India recover from their earlier defeat against South Africa and kept them in the race for a place in the last four.
The Indian batting line-up looked much stronger against Bangladesh, while the bowlers also did a good job of keeping the opposition under pressure. The win gave the team a big confidence boost ahead of the biggest match of their campaign.
However, Harmanpreet admitted there are still areas where India needs to improve before facing Australia.
One of the biggest concerns has been India’s fielding. Even though they defeated Bangladesh, the team dropped several catches that could have proved costly against a stronger batting side. Harmanpreet said the players have been working hard on their fielding throughout the tournament and know they need to do much better in such an important game.
“I think (we need to improve) a lot of things, but fielding is something on which we have been working really hard,” Harmanpreet noted. “Unfortunately, today again, we were not very great with the catches and hopefully next game is very important. And I think that is the day to show our best cricket.”
India will also keep an eye on the earlier Group 1 match on Sunday, where South Africa face Bangladesh. South Africa are also fighting for a place in the semi-finals, making the final day of group-stage matches one of the most exciting days of the tournament.
Still, Harmanpreet made it clear that India’s main focus is on Australia. The team knows that everything depends on producing their best performance at Lord’s. A victory would not only keep India’s World Cup dream alive but would also be another memorable win over one of the biggest teams in women’s cricket.
With confidence from last year’s World Cup success, recent victories over Australia, and a place in the semi-finals on the line, India will hope to rise to the occasion once again and produce another special performance when it matters the most.
Loves all things female cricket