India on the Brink of Earliest Exit in Eight Years at Women’s T20 World Cup

India is facing the possibility of their earliest exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup in eight years after a crucial loss to defending champions Australia. This would mark their first group-stage elimination since 2016, following three consecutive semifinal appearances. India’s performance in recent editions had been more promising, including a runner-up finish, but this year’s campaign has not lived up to those expectations.

In their final group-stage match, India needed a victory against Australia by a significant margin to secure a spot in the semifinals and potentially finish at the top of the table, ahead of Australia, by surpassing their net run rate. However, despite a valiant unbeaten half-century from captain Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s efforts fell short. Australia restricted them to 142 for nine in their 20-over chase of a 152-run target. Harmanpreet played a captain’s knock, keeping India in the hunt, but ultimately, the team could not find enough support from the lower order.

India’s chase appeared well on track when Harmanpreet found solid assistance from all-rounder Deepti Sharma. Together, the pair hit several boundaries, briefly raising India’s hopes of a victory. However, Australia struck back through Sophie Molineux, who dismissed Deepti at a crucial moment. The momentum swung further in Australia’s favor when Annabel Sutherland took three wickets in her final over, dismantling the Indian lineup and leaving the captain dejected on the field.

Australia’s win confirmed their place in the semifinals for the ninth consecutive time, a remarkable achievement for the team, which has never missed out on the knockout stages in the tournament’s history. India, on the other hand, ended their group stage with four points from four matches, leaving their fate hanging in the balance.

Can Pakistan Save India’s Campaign?

India’s semifinal hopes now rest on the result of the final Group A match between Pakistan and New Zealand. If Pakistan defeats New Zealand, even by a small margin, India could advance to the semifinals, as New Zealand would finish with four points and an inferior net run rate compared to India.

However, if New Zealand wins, regardless of the margin, India will be eliminated, as New Zealand would move to six points. There’s also a scenario where Pakistan, with a big win – by 47 to 60 runs or chasing a target in under 10 overs – could surpass India in net run rate and join Australia in the semifinals.

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