Smriti Mandhana reveals Matthew Hayden, Kumar Sangakkara’s advice ahead of India’s must-win Australia clash

The Indian women’s team knows exactly what is at stake as it prepares for one of its biggest matches of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. A place in the semi-finals will be on the line when Harmanpreet Kaur’s side takes on six-time champions Australia at Lord’s on Sunday, and the players are determined to rise to the occasion.

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana admitted the challenge will be tough but made it clear that India will stick to its attacking style of cricket rather than change its approach for such a high-pressure contest.

Smriti wants India to play fearless cricket

Speaking ahead of the must-win clash, Mandhana said the team has repeatedly spoken about playing positive cricket and wants to carry that mindset into the crucial encounter.

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“It’s a big game obviously. We’ve all spoken a lot about how we really want to be playing the aggressive brand of cricket and that’s something which we’ll all look to do tomorrow,” said Mandhana in the pre-match press conference.

The left-handed opener also accepted that India’s batting unit has not performed as consistently as it would have liked during the tournament. However, she believes the players are eager to make a strong statement against Australia.

“We’ve been speaking a lot in the batting meeting about how we really want to go out there and bat with intent. It’s not happened as much as we would have loved to. But having said that, I think everyone in the batting unit is itching to go,” she added.

Also Read: India vs Australia Preview: Semi Final spot at stake in Women’s T20 World Cup 2026

India closing the gap on Australia

Australia have dominated women’s cricket for several years, but Mandhana believes India have made significant progress in recent seasons.

She pointed to India’s performances in Australia, the Women’s Premier League and the growing experience gained by players in overseas competitions like the Women’s Big Bash League as key reasons behind the improvement.

“We did well in the T20 format in Australia. We’ll take a lot of confidence from that. With the WPL, I feel the girls are also very well prepped in terms of taking the high pressure games a little better than what we could before.

“But, yeah, again, I feel the gap has definitely narrowed. With a few of our players playing Big Bash, the experience is being shared and I feel the kind of cricket Indian team has played in the last four, five years – the gap has narrowed down.”

Mandhana hopes for strong opening stand with Shafali

Mandhana also spoke about her opening partnership with Shafali Verma, saying both batters are keen to give India the solid starts that have often helped the team succeed.

After a quiet series in England, the experienced opener feels they are ready to make a bigger contribution together.

“We had a very quiet series in England. We both were really pumped to get back to giving the good starts for India because, of course, whenever we lay the foundation, more or less, we are in a good place.

“So I’m really happy with the way she’s striking the ball and I hope that we can switch up our partnership together,” she noted.

Hayden and Sangakkara’s advice boosts confidence

Mandhana also revealed that conversations with former Australia opener Matthew Hayden and Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara have been valuable for her batting.

The Indian vice-captain said she has admired both legends for years and took the opportunity to discuss technical aspects of her game with Hayden during the tournament.

“I have looked up to Sangakkara sir and Matthew Hayden quite a lot. I remember even in my bad days, I would watch their videos. So, when I saw him (Hayden) doing the commentary, I got really excited.

“We had a good discussion and I wanted to know a few things about the grip etc. I also told him that chatting before an Australian game, I don’t know if you would like to do that, but he was really kind and sweet. He shared a lot of things, which I hope I can apply to my batting,” she said.

India head into Sunday’s clash knowing that victory over Australia will keep their semi-final hopes alive. With the batting unit looking to deliver its best performance of the tournament and the team determined to play positive cricket, all eyes will be on how they respond in one of the biggest matches of their World Cup campaign.

India women’s semi-final scenario