India Women defeated Australia Women by 21 runs via DLS method in the rain-affected first T20I of their 2025-26 tour at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 15, 2026. Arundhati Reddy’s 4-22 triggered Australia’s collapse to 133 all out in 18 overs, with India reaching 50/1 in 5.1 overs when rain halted play.
Match Summary
Australia, captained by Sophie Molineux in her debut, started strongly but lost 8 wickets for 65 runs after Beth Mooney’s knock. Reddy dismantled the middle order, dismissing key batters like Ellyse Perry (caught by Harmanpreet Kaur) and Phoebe Litchfield; Deepti Sharma added crucial breakthroughs. Shafali Verma smashed an early six before falling to Molineux, but Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues raced to 50, exceeding the DLS target of 27.
Key Performances
| Player | Team | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| Arundhati Reddy | IND-W | 4/22 |
| Deepti Sharma | IND-W | Wickets (Gardner) |
| Shafali Verma | IND-W | 21 (six) |
| Beth Mooney | AUS-W | Top scorer |
| Sophie Molineux | AUS-W | Captain, early wicket |
Implications
This marks India’s strong start toward a rare bilateral series win in Australia, only their second. Rain ensured the five-over minimum; Australia rarely gets bowled out at home in T20Is. Next matches promise intensity in the series.
