Women's T20 WC: 'We need to rethink how we play against good teams,' says Harmanpreet after India's exit
London, June 28
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted her side needs to reassess its approach against top opposition after Australia's record-breaking six-wicket victory at Lord's knocked the Women in Blue out of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday.
Despite posting a competitive 170/4, courtesy Harmanpreet's explosive 56 off 26 balls, India were unable to defend the total as Ellyse Perry (56) and Ashleigh Gardner (53 not out) guided Australia to the highest successful run chase in Women's T20 World Cup history. The defeat ended India's semifinal hopes, with Australia and South Africa progressing to the last four from the group.
Reflecting on the result, Harmanpreet felt India had put enough runs on the board but admitted the team once again failed to deliver against one of the tournament's strongest sides.
"End of the day, we got a decent total on the board. In between when I was batting, I thought we were a little short, but the last couple of overs did the job. They were looking for the runs but couldn't do so," Harmanpreet said after the match.
The skipper acknowledged that India's performances against stronger opponents had proved costly throughout the campaign.
"If I have to think about the entire tournament, we didn't do well against good teams. Against the best teams, always your best comes. I think we need to rethink that," she said.
Harmanpreet credited Australia for executing their plans well and felt India could not capitalise despite preserving wickets during their innings.
"They're one of the best. I think they bowled according to their plans. We didn't lose wickets, but at the same time, we didn't get what we were expecting. It was a good game, but unfortunately, we didn't get over the line," she added.
Looking at the bigger picture, the India captain called for serious introspection, particularly over the team's recurring struggles in crunch matches against elite opposition.
"As a group, we really need to rethink a lot of things, how we have to go against good teams, especially because sometimes we are in the game, but in the last few overs, we've been giving away heavy runs. And if we have to chase, then we are not able to get those runs while batting. So I think it's been happening for quite a long time," Harmanpreet said.
India finished their campaign with six points from five matches, while Australia and South Africa qualified for the semifinals with eight points each.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Harmanpreet played brilliantly - 56 off 26 balls was pure class. But we can't keep relying on one player to bail us out. Our bowling attack needs more variety, especially in the death overs. We leaked runs at crucial moments and that's been a recurring pattern. Time to look at our domestic structure and develop more all-rounders like Australia have. 🇮🇳
I disagree with the captain's assessment somewhat. We actually put up a decent total, and the problem was our bowling and fielding under pressure. Australia simply executed better when it mattered. We need to stop making excuses and start analyzing why we consistently underperform against top teams. The talent is there - it's the execution that's missing.
I feel for the team. They tried their best, but Australia are just a class apart. Harmanpreet's knock was superb though - that six over mid-wicket was a treat to watch! 🏏 We need more matches against top teams before the next World Cup. We can't just improve by playing domestic tournaments; we need regular bilateral series against Australia and England.
The only positive from this tournament is that we identified our weak areas early. Harmanpreet has been saying 'rethink' for years now; I hope this time BCCI actually does something. We need better support staff, more exposure to Australian conditions, and a proper mentorship program for young players. Our girls have the passion - just need the right infrastructure.
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