Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues join in for sharp glances (screengrabs)

New Delhi: India must win the Women’s T20 World Cup against Australia, but emotions were running high among close friends. Smriti Mandhana And jemima rodrigues They were involved in a heated exchange after an expensive mix-up.Openers Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34) gave a solid start to India by making a partnership of 66 runs. However, after Shafali was dismissed, a communication error between Mandhana and Jemimah led to the former being run out at a crucial stage of the innings.The incident occurred in the 12th over when Jemima played a reverse sweep towards short third man off the bowling of Georgia Wareham. Mandhana called for a quick single and got set immediately, but Jemimah was watching the ball and did not respond in time. Australia immediately took advantage of the opportunity and Mandhana was run out after a direct throw reached the bowler.As soon as Mandhana returned to the pavilion, both the players looked disappointed and started expressing anger at each other. Watch:Although Mandhana later apologised, the incident briefly led to a tense situation between the two teammates, who share a close bond off the field.

‘It’s part of the game. We moved forward very fast’: Mandhana

Despite middle-order struggles, the captain Harmanpreet Kaur Played a sensational innings and scored 56 runs in just 27 balls, taking India to 170/4. Her explosive batting in the final over, which included three consecutive sixes off Australian captain Sophie Molineux, helped India score 36 runs in the last two overs.Reflecting on the innings and run-out, Mandhana downplayed the incident. She said, “Yeah, I mean, it happens. It’s part of the game. We moved on too quickly.”With their semi-final hopes hanging in the balance, India will now look to defend a competitive total against the six-time champions.

The race for the two semi-final spots from Group A has come down to the final league match of the Women’s T20 World Cup. India’s clash against Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground will decide which two teams from India, Australia and South Africa will advance to the semi-finals.

Before the India-Australia match, South Africa defeated Bangladesh by four wickets at Lord’s. The win took the Proteas to eight points, level with Australia, while India slipped to third on the table. So, what does India need to do to qualify?

India vs Australia, Women’s T20 World Cup: Update | Achievement:

The equation is simple: India must beat Australia. A win will take India to eight points and level with South Africa, but India will advance on the basis of better net run rate. However, a defeat will leave India with six points and elimination from the tournament.

Australia are almost certain to reach the semi-finals due to their excellent net run rate of +4.724. Meanwhile, South Africa’s qualification fate is no longer in their own hands.

Who came for India?

India has made one change in the team that defeated Bangladesh by including fast bowler Kranti Gaur in place of Nandini Sharma. Kranti have faced a tough tournament so far and have not got any wickets in their two matches.

Meanwhile, Australia welcomed back Phoebe Litchfield after her recovery from a quad injury. The left-handed player returned to the playing eleven at number 3 in place of leg spinner Alanna King.

Litchfield, who scored a brilliant century against India in the Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final in Navi Mumbai last year, will take fond memories into the competition. She will be hoping for another match-winning innings.

India have won only two of their seven matches against Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup. Their last win came in Sydney in 2020, when Poonam Yadav’s four-wicket haul gave them a memorable win.

Playing XI for India Women vs Australia Women

Australia Women (Playing XI): Beth Mooney (w), Georgia Woll, Phoebe Lichfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashley Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molyneux (c), Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton.

India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (W), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Sri Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaur.

Many more to follow…

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Vaibhav Suryavanshi (PTI photo)

Former England captain michael vaughn He believes that teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already changed the way teams approach T20 batting, but believes the 15-year-old still has to polish one aspect of his game before he can establish himself across all formats. But I am saying Ajinkya RahaneSpeaking on his YouTube channel ahead of India’s five-match T20 series against England starting July 1 in Durham, Vaughan suggested that England should take advantage of the physical demands of fielding by asking India to bowl first whenever they win the toss. According to him, Suryavanshi’s biggest challenge at the international level will be to spend the entire innings on the field before opening batting. “One thing he will have to face is his fielding. There is no influence where he can sit on the bench. If I were England, I would have asked India to field first because by the time Suryavanshi came to bat, he would have been tired,” Michael Vaughan said on Ajinkya Rahane’s YouTube channel. Vaughan’s observation follows Rajasthan Royals Suryavanshi was frequently used as an impact player during IPL 2026, limiting his time on the field. The move reportedly took the youngster by surprise, with one of the franchise’s coaches revealing that Suryavanshi is very proud of his fielding abilities. Despite Vaughan’s concerns, Suryavanshi has shown a desire to spend longer periods in the field. During the U19 World Cup and the recent Tri-A series, the youngster fielded extensively, although India A batted first in each of those matches. Apart from highlighting the fielding aspect, Vaughan was full of praise for the left-handed batsman’s fearless approach, claiming that Suryavanshi has redefined expectations in T20 cricket. “There’s only one name being talked about, and that’s a 15-year-old kid. I think T20 cricket, especially because of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, has taken the game to scores as high as 230. I think it’s the norm now; teams are looking to score over 230. The openers are getting tougher than ever. It’s almost as if the 15-year-old has sent a message to the rest of the world that T20 cricket Can move to another level,” said the former England captain. Suryavanshi did not participate in India’s opening T20 match against Ireland on Friday. Abhishek Sharma And sanju samson Preferred at top of order. The teenager is still awaiting his international debut and could become India’s youngest-ever T20I debutant if the team management decides to rotate the squad during the England series. The 15-year-old has enjoyed a stellar 2026, scoring a match-winning 175 in the U19 World Cup final and following that up with 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals during a successful IPL campaign.

Group J took a final turn on Saturday as Lionel Messi made history, Argentina completed a perfect campaign and Austria grabbed a stoppage-time equalizer that sent both themselves and Algeria through to the round of 32, ending Iran’s World Cup hopes.

When the final whistle blew, Argentina were on top with three wins from three, Austria had survived thanks to Sasa Kalajdzic’s dramatic late equaliser, Algeria had gone ahead as one of the best third-placed teams and Iran were heading home.

While the battle for qualification went on elsewhere, Messi added another World Cup record to his remarkable career.

Jordan vs Argentina, FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlights

The Argentina captain became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches as the defending champions completed a flawless group-stage campaign by beating Jordan 3-1 in Dallas.

With qualification already secured, coach Lionel Scaloni rested several regular starters, making nine changes to the team that defeated Austria. Even with a much-changed eleven, Argentina controlled the game from the start.

Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring with a spectacular free-kick in the 19th minute, becoming the first Argentine player other than Messi to score at this World Cup. Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead from the penalty spot after his initial effort came off the crossbar.

Messi arrived just after the hour. Twenty minutes later, he was on the scoresheet once again.

His composed performance in the 80th minute took his tally of goals in the World Cup to 19 and his total in the tournament to six. The strike made him the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches, moving him ahead of France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s legendary Jairzinho.

Jordan pulled one back late but it did not spoil Argentina’s evening as the defending champions secured their third consecutive win. They will now face Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday in Miami.

If Argentina’s progress was routine, the battle for the other two qualification spots was anything but.

Austria, Algeria play out epic draw

Austria and Algeria tied one match of the tournament at 3–3, which went to and fro before giving a final twist in stoppage time.

Marko Arnautovic gave Austria an early lead before Rafik Belghali equalized before the break. Marcel Sabitzer restored Austria’s lead early in the second half, only for Riyad Mahrez to equalize again and keep Algeria in the contest.

The closing minutes turned into pure knockout football.

Mahrez looked to have sent Algeria through with a winner in the third minute of stoppage time, a goal that would have also knocked Austria out. But with almost the last kick of the match, Sasa Kalajdzic scored in the 96th minute to rescue a point and lead to celebrations for both teams.

The draw was enough for Austria to finish second in Group J and set up a round of 32 meeting with Spain. Algeria advanced as one of the best third-place teams and will face Switzerland.

For Iran, whose hopes were pinned on Austria dropping points, Kalajdzic’s late equalizer ended their World Cup campaign in the most brutal manner.

FIFA World Cup | fifa world cup schedule | fifa world cup points table | football news

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Danny Wyatt-Hodge (Getty Images)

England ended New Zealand’s reign as Women’s T20 World Cup champions with a stunning nine-wicket win at the Oval on Saturday.The defending champions were eliminated from the group stage after losing three of their five matches.Earlier in the day, New Zealand got an unexpected boost as Ireland beat West Indies by six wickets in Bristol, keeping the Kiwis’ semi-final hopes alive.Ireland’s victory also ended their 12-year-long 21-match losing streak in the five Women’s T20 World Cups.New Zealand veteran Sophie Devine quips, “Some of us are half-Irish now.” “(Our) destiny is in our hands.”However, New Zealand still have to beat an unbeaten England team to reach the semi-finals ahead of West Indies.

Wyatt-Hodge enabled England to chase the target with ease

After New Zealand scored 163/6, England chased the target easily, reaching 164/1 with 16 balls remaining.Opener Danny Wyatt-Hodge scored an unbeaten 89 off 53 balls with 15 fours and a six in front of 21,018 spectators, the highest ever attendance for a Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage match.The remaining two semi-final places will be decided on Sunday, with Australia, South Africa and India still in the race.

Wyatt-Hodge breaks tournament record

Wyatt-Hodge continued his excellent tournament after scoring a century in England’s opening match. He now has two fifties and one century to his name in the competition.With 282 runs, she is the leading run-scorer in the tournament. She also broke the Women’s T20 World Cup record for most runs in a single edition, surpassing Beth Mooney’s record of 259 runs in 2020, with potentially two more matches left to play.England’s opening batsmen survived on two early occasions. He was dropped behind the stumps before even opening the account and was given another life when he missed a stumping opportunity on 13.His half-century was completed in just 33 balls. She made a match-winning partnership of 128 runs in 80 balls with Sophia Dunkley, who remained unbeaten on 49 runs in 38 balls with the help of nine fours. Dunkley is England’s second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 120 runs.

Despite a solid start, New Zealand fell behind

New Zealand chose to bat first and made a strong start with an opening partnership of 70 runs between Isabella Gaze and Mellie Kerr.But the momentum of the innings was lost when Gage, Kerr and Izzy Sharp were out within four balls. Brooke Halliday and Sophie Devine added 74 runs before being dismissed in the same over.Maddy Green and Suzie Bates tried to finish strongly, but New Zealand’s total proved far short of the total required against England’s powerful batting line-up.

End of an era for New Zealand

With this defeat, the international careers of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and fast bowler Lee Tahuhu also came to an end.The trio signed after making almost 900 international appearances combined for New Zealand.

Harry Kane became England’s leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history after scoring his 11th goal of the tournament during the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Panama on Sunday.

England captain scored in the 67th minute Following Jude Bellingham’s surging run and accurate cross, the result put Panama ahead and sole possession of the record shared with Gary Lineker. Lineker scored 10 World Cup goals in the 1986 and 1990 editions, but Kane now has one better after appearing in three tournaments.

The goal also moved Kane ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gabriel Batistuta in the World Cup’s all-time leading scorers. Only six players have scored more goals than the Bayern Munich striker, who is now one behind Brazilian great Pele’s 12 goals.

Kane’s World Cup goals have come in three editions of the tournament. He scored six times to win the Golden Boot in Russia in 2018, added two goals in Qatar four years later and now takes his goal tally to 11 with three strikes in the ongoing World Cup.

Panama vs England, FIFA World Cup 2026: highlight

The latest goal capped another remarkable season for the England captain. According to Opta, it was his 70th goal for club and country in 2025–26, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s best single-season return of 69 goals in 69 matches for Real Madrid and Portugal during the 2011–12 campaign.

Kane achieved this milestone in just 60 matches. Among the current generation, Erling Haaland’s best return is 61 goals in 61 games during the 2022–23 season, while Kylian Mbappe’s highest tally is 54 in 56 matches. Only Lionel Messi has had a better campaign, scoring 82 goals in 69 matches for Barcelona and Argentina in 2011–12.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career. He helped Bayern Munich complete a domestic double, claim a third consecutive Bundesliga Golden Boot and become the highest-scoring English footballer in history, surpassing Jimmy Greaves earlier this year.

Kane’s record-breaking strike also came at a crucial moment in England’s campaign. After a goalless first half, Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute, before Kane doubled the lead five minutes later, sealing victory and England’s place in the Round of 32 as Group L winners.

With the knockout rounds looming, Kane has another achievement within reach. Another goal would bring him level with Pele on the World Cup scoring charts, while England will hope their captain’s form can mount a serious challenge for the title.

FIFA World Cup | fifa world cup schedule | fifa world cup points table | football news

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Here is the transcript of Sophie Molineux’s press conference before the match vs India

[Reporter:]

First training session at Lord’s, how does it feel to be at a ground that is so prestigious?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, it was really good. It was good. We also had a few days off, so everyone was super excited to get out here and run around. The sun was out, nice and warm, so it was nice to get out. We did some fielding and then went back and got some skills. So yes, it was a big session and I think the girls got a lot out of it.

[Reporter:]

I saw Phoebe training today. Is she fully fit and looking good for Sunday?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, she is looking good. She’s fully trained today, kind of moving forward and has been quite good over the last week or so. So yes, she’ll be good, which is exciting for us.

[Reporter:]

I’m pretty sure I saw Beth there too. How did she recover after those chaos last night?

[Sophie Molineux:]

She said it felt really good. It doesn’t look blown out or anything, which is a miracle. And she’s tough, so she’ll be good to go on Sunday and beyond. But yes, I don’t envy her that she got out twice in the same game, and she stayed. But yes, he is tough and has done a lot for us over the years, and this is no different.

[Reporter:]

Sunday will be do or die for India. How good a test will this be for you guys when perhaps you haven’t faced a lot of pressure in your last few matches?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, I think we are in a slightly different situation than India. We still have to win and make sure we finish where we want to be. And yes, we know there’s a little bit of pressure on them, and I think hopefully we can double down on it and put pressure on them early in the game. But yes, the games against India are always, always good, always intense, but it is a sell-out crowd, so we know it will be a big occasion and we are very looking forward to it.

[Reporter:]

Your first World Cup as captain – now we are heading into the tough times – how much have you enjoyed it so far, but how much are you looking forward to this next round too?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, I liked it very much. It’s definitely a little different from my last World Cup. Maybe there’s a little more responsibility and things to do, but at the same time, I’ve really loved it. I believe in the World Cup you ride waves and we have been really good and consistent as a group over the last few months. So yes, looking forward to next week. This is what we work hard for and I feel like as a group we are in a really good place and moving forward.

[Reporter:]

I think we saw some clips on social media of you in lycra during stretching sessions and things like that, I think, to keep the humor up, keep up the morale. How important is that in terms of what you want to establish in terms of your captaincy, to try and really make sure the morale remains high in this group?

[Sophie Molineux:]

You can’t get away from anything these days, but I think we’ve done a bit of bus travelling, it’s taken a bit of time to get from one place to another and I think there’s two ways to look at it. For one thing, it’s a hassle. Or two, this is a great opportunity to get on the bus and connect with each other, review and preview games. And then I think the other side of it is just making sure we stay excited. And I think that’s probably a big part, my leadership is to make sure the group is in a good place. And I believe that when the time is right – I don’t get it right all the time, but sometimes when you feel the group needs a little something, I’m happy to do that. I think there are some other characters in the group who will do this next time. Well, I’m hoping so anyway. But yeah, no, it was a bit of fun. I enjoy that stuff too.

[Reporter:]

In terms of your own experience of being around this team, when it’s won the World Cup, when it hasn’t won the World Cup, what do you think about in terms of next week and if you have to go all the way? Is the main thing that you want this team to be controlled in a way to make sure that your focus doesn’t go too far from the semi-finals to the final or anything like that?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, this is a big deal. It’s literally an attempt to live in the moment and be as present as possible. It’s very easy to do that in a tournament or a World Cup when there are so many expectations, attention, pressure or whatever comes with it to get ahead. But you can’t do that in the World Cup. There is something in every game. And I think, yes, we – Shelley and I said that at the beginning of the tournament to make sure that we enjoy the whole journey of the World Cup. And whether it’s a bus ride or a training session or mobility or just a team meeting or some dinner together or something like that, make sure we’re really in the moment and enjoying it. And you can really feel the group taking it on board. And it’s been a really enjoyable tour so far. And we know this week could be really special too. So I think what we can control is either today’s training session or the next ball when we are playing. It’s a big focus for us not to get too carried away.

[Reporter:]

As captain, obviously, the hope is, as long as Phoebe has done everything, if she comes back into selection contention, it will mean someone has to be out. In terms of those players, how much do you want to say about whether it’s a bowling option because someone who likes to rotate your bowlers a lot, someone who is maybe a bit of a lower order batsman, what’s kind of your priority as captain in terms of trying to get Phoebe back into the team?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, obviously Phoebe will take the top spot and there will be someone who will be really unfortunate to have to drop out. Who, I’m not even sure. We might have to keep watching this pitch. It’s a bit sunny at the moment so we’ll probably have to look at that and the beauty of our team is the depth that we’ve got and we’ll have to utilize that at different points in this tour and yes, how it’s shaping up for Sunday, we’re not quite sure yet.

[Reporter:]

How long are you willing to leave that call? Obviously South Africa and Bangladesh play in the morning. Can you wait and see how that game plays out?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, we could. Not sure whether we will do it this time or not, but we did it against South Africa in the first game. We named 12 – or decided it internally – in the morning before watching the game unfold in front of us. But yes, not sure whether we will do it this time or not, but yes, we have done it before too, so if we had to, we would probably take that route as well.

[Reporter:]

I think these are back-to-back games where Australia have scored the two highest scores in the T20 World Cup. How important are those power plays in terms of giving the team the right start and making sure you can go on and score big?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yeah, it shows what we want to do as a team and how we want to play. Our batting line-up is full of explosiveness and there are players who are naturally really good run scorers and will do so at a high rate. So I believe unlocking that and making girls feel like they can be free in the power play and beyond is just what it takes. And I believe it has been really enjoyable to see everyone score some runs in the different games that we have played. So it’s good that everyone has spent some time in the middle during the tournament, and hopefully it will put our top order and middle order in good shape over the next little while.

[Reporter:]

And I know that the team, everyone in that 11 is confident that you guys will essentially bat at number 11. How much of that comes into thinking when it’s in the middle overs, taking a few more risks, knowing that OK, we’ve got players in the shed who can still have an impact on the game that maybe taking a slightly more aggressive approach than other teams?

[Sophie Molineux:]

Yes, I think that’s probably naturally the case. And a big part of this group is that we all trust each other, we all support each other, whether it’s with the bat or the ball. I think it’s a good level of trust and support, so I think that kind of helps as well.

India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana Has said that the team will adopt an aggressive approach when it faces Australia in its important match of the Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday. With a semi-final place at stake, India know that a win over the six-time champions will almost certainly secure their progress after being in a tough competition with South Africa. Speaking ahead of the crucial clash, Mandhana admitted that India’s batting unit has not performed as consistently as they would have liked so far in the tournament. “Obviously it’s a big game. We’ve all talked a lot about how we want to play really attacking cricket and that’s something we’ll be looking to do tomorrow as well,” he said.Mandhana believes that India has significantly reduced the gap with Australia over the years due to increased exposure in franchise cricket and experience in high-pressure matches. She pointed to India’s recent success in Australia and the impact of tournaments like the Women’s Premier League.“We did well in Australia in the T20 format. That will give us a lot of confidence. With the WPL, I think the girls are very well prepared to take on high-pressure games a little better than before,” she said.“But, yes, again, I think the gap has definitely reduced. With some of our players playing the Big Bash, the experience is being shared and I think the kind of cricket the Indian team has played in the last four, five years – the gap has reduced.”

Mandhana reveals secret on Shafali

The left-handed opening batsman also expressed hope that he and Shafali Verma can give India a strong start against Australia after struggling for consistency in recent matches.“We had a very quiet series in England. We were both really excited to give a good start to India because, of course, whenever we lay the foundation, more or less, we are in a good place,” Mandhana said.He also revealed that conversations with former Australian opener Matthew Hayden and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara have helped him improve his batting.“I have watched Sangakkara sir and Matthew Hayden a lot. I remember even in my bad days, I used to watch their videos. So, when I saw him (Hayden) doing commentary, I got really excited,” she said.“We had a good discussion and I wanted to know some things about grip etc. I also told him that when chatting before the Australian game, I don’t know if you would want to do that, but he was really kind and sweet. He shared a lot of things which I can hopefully apply to my batting.”

National record-breaking pole vaulter G Sindhushree lacked funds to buy proper equipment after her father’s death in 2022, forcing her to compete with a short pole until she borrowed a long pole just two weeks ahead of the National Inter-State Championships here.

Using her friend’s gear, Karnataka’s unheralded Sindhushree set an unexpected national record, won the gold medal and also secured an Asian Games ticket. The 25-year-old, who hails from a family of modest means in Bhadravati in Shimoga district, cleared a distance of 4.25 metres, breaking Tamil Nadu athlete Baranika Elangovan’s previous national record of 4.20 metres, a month old.

“My father died of a heart attack in 2022. Whatever I have achieved today is all because of my father. Every morning, he would take me for a run and he wanted me to play for the country in international events. I am going to fulfill his dream with the Asian Games (participation),” Sindhushree said, holding her father’s photo.

“I qualified for the World University Games, but my father was not there to see me. I am the first person in my family to play sports, other members also wanted to send a girl to sports. My father fought all of them and so I joined SAI Hostel in Bengaluru in 2016. I started my sports journey at that time.”

His father R Ganesh was an electrician and his mother worked as a tailor.

“Since my mother is taking care of my younger sister’s studies, my grandfather is supporting me financially,” said an emotional Sindhushree, who dedicated her Asian Games gold medal and coveted ticket to her father.

“I have no sponsor, no job and it is difficult to manage. I was looking for a job but I couldn’t find it because my performances were not good. I am hoping to get a job after this performance. I need to help my family,” said the 159 cm (5 feet 2.5 inches) tall pole vaulter.

Sindhushree improved her personal best by 25 cm. His previous personal best was 4 meters during the Indian Athletics Series 6 in Chennai in May. He has won only one medal at major domestic championships so far – a silver here at the 2023 National Inter-State Championships with a performance of 3.80m.

Due to financial struggles she could not even buy herself a proper pole for the competition. Before coming here she was using a small pole.

“I didn’t have proper poles before. All the poles were short and after competitions they became loose. I trained with short poles and learned technique, which is why I couldn’t perform well in previous competitions like the Federation Cup.

“Luckily, I came here with a long pole that was actually brought by a friend of mine. I got it a few days ago and I was able to perform better here.”

Initially, Sindhushree was a 400m runner, but a local coach shifted her to pole vault in 2017. My coach said I could do better in pole vault.

Asked about qualifying for the Asian Games, she said, “It feels like a dream, it all happened because of my father (above).”

Sindhushree’s coach Vijeesh MM said that her most important quality is her patience.

“Her patience is her strength, as for many years the performances were not coming, she was not able to compete with proper sticks and she had financial difficulties.

“With the right poles and the right nutritional support, she will do better in the Asian Games. She doesn’t need to focus on her technique. I hope she can go above 4.30m.”

The bronze medal mark at the 2022 Asian Games was 4.30 metres.

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