A group-stage exit at a home-soil-away T20 World Cup, followed nine days later by a 270-run demolition of England in a Test match that had never been played before. That is the wild swing India’s women have produced in 2026, and it is exactly why the India Women’s cricket team schedule is worth tracking closely for the rest of this year.
Where India Stand Coming Into the Second Half of 2026
India arrived in 2026 as the reigning 50-over world champions, having beaten a strong field to lift the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 2, with Shafali Verma named Player of the Match in a 52-run win. That title defense of sorts has not carried through cleanly into every format this year, and the results below tell a genuinely mixed story.
India Women’s Results So Far in 2026
Australia Tour, February to March
India opened their year with an all-format tour of Australia. The T20I leg went India’s way, but the tour turned once the format switched to fifty-over cricket. Australia took the ODI series, including a five-wicket win in Hobart and a crushing 185-run victory in the series decider, before completing a lopsided sweep with a 10-wicket win in the one-off Test at the WACA in Perth, where India were bowled out for 198 and 149.
South Africa Tour, April
India then travelled to South Africa for a five-match T20I series across Durban, Johannesburg, and Benoni. The hosts took the series 4-1, with South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt named Player of the Series after piling up 330 runs, a reminder of just how dangerous the Proteas top order has become in the shortest format.
The T20 World Cup Heartbreak
England hosted the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in June and July, and India’s campaign came down to a single group game against Australia at Lord’s on June 28. With India, Australia, and South Africa all tied together by the result, Australia’s six-wicket win sent them and South Africa through to the semi-finals and ended India’s tournament in the group stage. Australia went on to beat West Indies in the semi-final and then defeated England by seven wickets in the final at Lord’s on July 5 to lift the trophy.
A Historic Response at Lord’s
Just days after that World Cup elimination, India produced one of the great turnarounds in recent memory. From July 10 to 13, India played England in the first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s, and the result was not close. Centuries and half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and a maiden Test hundred from Yastika Bhatia took India to totals of 285 and 341 for 7 declared, setting England an improbable 457 to win. England folded for 170 and 186, with Kranti Gaud becoming the first woman to take a five-wicket haul in a Lord’s Test and Sneh Rana finishing the match off with the ball. India won by 270 runs, and the victory doubled as the farewell Test appearance for England veterans Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight ahead of their international retirements.
India Women’s Upcoming Schedule
The rest of 2026 is packed for the squad, spanning a multi-sport event, a home series, and a return trip to South Africa before the year is out.
- September 19 to October 4: Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, where India will defend the gold medal they won at the previous edition
- October 16, 18, and 20: Home T20I series against Zimbabwe in Raipur, three matches
- October 23, 25, and 28: Home ODI series against Zimbabwe in Vadodara, three matches
- Mid-December: Return tour of South Africa featuring a one-off Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is
The Zimbabwe series in particular offers India a chance to reset momentum on home soil after a demanding few months of travel, while the December return to South Africa gives the squad an opportunity to settle the score after April’s T20I defeat.
What to Watch For the Rest of the Year
A few threads are worth following as the schedule plays out. First, whether India can carry the batting form shown at Lord’s, particularly from Yastika Bhatia and Deepti Sharma, into the white-ball formats where the team has struggled for consistency this year. Second, how the bowling attack develops around Kranti Gaud and Sneh Rana, both of whom were central to the Lord’s win. Third, whether the Asian Games gold defense in September gives India a shorter-format confidence boost heading into the Zimbabwe series and the December tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did India win the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026?
No. India were eliminated in the group stage after a loss to Australia at Lord’s on June 28. Australia went on to win the tournament, beating England in the final on July 5.
Did India win the historic Test at Lord’s?
Yes. India beat England by 270 runs in the first-ever women’s Test played at Lord’s, held from July 10 to 13, 2026.
Who does India play next after the Lord’s Test?
India’s next major assignment is the Asian Games in Japan from September 19 to October 4, followed by a home series against Zimbabwe in October.
Is India still the reigning 50-over Women’s World Cup champion?
Yes. India won the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup final in Navi Mumbai on November 2, 2025, and hold that title heading into the next edition of the tournament.
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