Smriti Mandhana scored an excellent 82 to propel India to a 1-2 win in the AUSW vs INDW T20Is.
There is no stopping Smriti Mandhana as she has starred in India Women’s historic T20I series win in Australia just weeks after leading the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) trophy. Previously, besides a match-winning 87 in the WPL 2026 final, she had also dominated the entire season with 377 runs in nine matches to finish as the leading run-scorer.
Following an unbeaten 16 in the series opener and a 24-ball 31 in the previous fixture, the Team India vice-captain once again stood strong in the AUSW vs INDW decider. In a slow Adelaide surface, the batter converted her steady start to a crucial 82-run knock before being dismissed by Annabel Sutherland in the 17th over.
Her innings came off 55 balls, comprising eight boundaries and three sixes. The 121-run partnership between Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues (59), alongside a blistering cameo from Richa Ghosh (18), was key to notching up a formidable score of 176/6. Notably, this is the highest women’s T20I score at the ground so far.
While chasing, the hosts’ vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner was the lone warrior with a fifty-plus knock, apart from a 17-ball 26 contribution from Phoebe Litchfield. But in the end, three-wicket hauls each from Shreyanka Patil and Shree Charani sealed the three-match series by 1-2 in India’s favour.
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The Women in Blue’s commendable victory in the AUSW vs INDW T20I series marks only their second win in the format on Australian soil. The last time they defeated the hosts in T20Is down under was back in January 2016. However, this win would play a huge role in their preparation ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to kick off on June 12.
Earlier, after registering their maiden T20I series victory in Australia, the side had endured a group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup 2016 at home. But Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. will aim to bring in a change in their fortunes in the mega T20 championship in England. Especially following their first-ever World Cup victory last year, the squad will be keen to replicate a similar outcome in the forthcoming ICC event.
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