From Sharjah to Lord’s: India’s T20 World Cup exit repeats the pain of 2024

 

 

Image: BCCI, Women

Snehasis Mukherjee, London

India’s campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 came to an end with yet another group-stage exit. In a must-win final group match against Australia at Lord’s, they suffered a six-wicket defeat and failed to qualify for the semi-finals. More disappointingly, it marked India’s second successive group-stage exit in the tournament, and once again Australia were at the centre of the heartbreak.

India began the tournament on a positive note, defeating Pakistan and the Netherlands. But in a group featuring two other strong sides, South Africa and Australia, they knew they had to beat at least one of them to stay in contention. Unfortunately, despite being in control for large parts of the game against South Africa, Harmanpreet Kaur and her side let the match slip away before returning to winning ways against Bangladesh.

That left India needing just one more win against Australia at Lord’s to secure a place in the semi-finals. But they failed to deliver. In the end, India won all three matches against relatively weaker teams – Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands – but lost to the two strongest sides in the group.

Interestingly, the exact same story unfolded in the 2024 edition. Back then, India were grouped with New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They defeated only Pakistan and Sri Lanka while losing to both the White Ferns and Australia. Two years later, it feels like a case of deja vu, but for all the wrong reasons. In 2024, India lost to Australia in Sharjah and crashed out. In 2026, at the iconic Lord’s, they stumbled against the same opposition once again.

So, what is the problem?

First and foremost, this team seems to have struggled under pressure. Whenever the opposition has put them under pressure, India have found it difficult to respond. Against Australia, as the Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner partnership gathered momentum, the pressure became visible. Sree Charani bowled a no-ball at a crucial stage, while a misfield from Kranti Gaud gifted away four runs. Small moments like these proved costly.

What about the preparation? India had no shortage of it. They defeated England in a T20I series in England in 2025 and also beat Australia earlier this year. They also played a T20I series in South Africa and England before the World Cup. When it comes to the acclimatisation, they are in England from approximately the third week of May. So, The preparation was there, but when it mattered the most, the team failed to execute. It turned into a collective failure.

Considering the quality of this squad, the campaign has been quite surprising. Forget their A game, India were not even close to producing their B or C game when it mattered. But why? That remains the biggest question.

The same questions were raised after the 2024 edition, and two years later, there are still no clear answers. Take fielding for example. It continues to be a major concern. Dropping catches in crucial moments has become a recurring issue. Against South Africa, it played a huge role in India’s defeat. Even a reliable fielder like Radha Yadav dropped Marizanne Kapp twice under pressure. In the following game against Bangladesh, she put down a few more chances. It wasn’t just catching. India’s ground fielding also lacked consistency throughout the tournament.

So, where is the improvement? Where is the accountability? Where are the signs of progress despite repeated setbacks?

The same mistakes that hurt India in 2024 resurfaced in 2026. That is perhaps the biggest disappointment. The next ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is only two years away, and the big question now is how will India approach the road ahead? Perhaps it is time to back new players, give them a longer run and begin a fresh chapter in this format as the search for a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title continues.

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