Women's T20 World Cup: The Road to Lord’s is set

Dubai: The final weekend of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 group stage delivered heartbreak, history and clinical brilliance in equal measure. When Sunday evening concluded at Lord’s, the road to the final was set.

Saturday night at The Oval was not just a victory – it was a statement.

England chased New Zealand’s 163 for 6 in 17.2 overs, losing just one wicket. The defending champions New Zealand were eliminated without winning a knockout-defining game. England, playing on home soil, look genuinely unstoppable right now.

Sunday morning belonged to South Africa – though Bangladesh made them earn every run.

South Africa chased 117 with four wickets in hand in a match that felt far tighter than the scoreline suggests. A team with match-winners, capable of performing under pressure. Nobody in the final four will want to face them.

India posted 170 for 4 – their highest ever T20 World Cup total against Australia. Australia chased it down losing six wickets, completing the highest successful chase in Women’s T20 World Cup history. Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner were masterful.

Harmanpreet’s honesty after the match was courageous: “We need to rethink a lot of things.” Being eliminated in the group stage for the second successive T20 World Cup demands more than individual reflection – it demands structural change. Shree Charani’s 14 wickets were a rare individual bright spot in a collective disappointment.

Australia are unbeaten and ruthless. England are dominant on home soil. South Africa are the tournament’s most dangerous dark horse. West Indies are the reigning champions who know exactly how to win this tournament.

Three matches of cricket now separate us from a new T20 World Cup champion – and the greatest stage in women’s cricket history awaits at Lord’s.