‘One player leaving doesn’t change that’: Harmanpreet Kaur wary of Australia despite Alyssa Healy’s retirement

India will face arch-rivals Australia in a virtual quarter-final at Lord’s, with a place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals hanging in the balance.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side must beat the unbeaten Australians in their final Group A clash to keep their knockout hopes alive.

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Speaking on JioStar’s Champions Huddle, Harmanpreet said India are confident heading into the high-stakes contest despite Australia’s formidable reputation.

“We recently played a T20I series against Australia on their home soil, and we performed well. That series gave us confidence. It’s not that after Alyssa Healy’s retirement, Australia have become weaker. They are still a very strong side. They have a deep pool of players and a system that keeps producing quality cricketers. One player leaving doesn’t change that,” she said.

Australia, led by all-rounder Sophie Molineux, have won all four of their matches so far and sit atop the Group A standings. A victory over India will confirm their place in the semi-finals.

Harmanpreet praised Molineux’s leadership but insisted India have consistently challenged Australia in major tournaments.

“Sophie Molineux is a great captain too. She leads from the front and knows how to get the best out of her players. She is calm under pressure and reads the game well. She has been part of this Australian setup for a long time, so she understands the dynamics of the team. Under her leadership, they will be well prepared.

“But we have always played good cricket against them. We have always given them tough competition in big tournaments. The mindset remains the same; we will give our best, work hard, and try to dominate them in every department. We know they are a strong team, but we also know we have the ability to match them.”

The India captain also stressed that her team’s focus remains firmly on its own game rather than Australia’s strengths.

“We know Australia have great cricketers. They have world-class players in every department. But we don’t spend too much time thinking about them. We focus on our own skills. We talk about what we need to do on match day, our batting plans, our bowling lengths, and our fielding standards. We discuss how we can execute our skills under pressure,” she said.

“We know what Australia have achieved in the past, but that doesn’t matter when we step onto the field. It’s only about what we can do and how we can deliver to win that match. So, we keep the focus on ourselves. We talk about our strengths and how we can use them against them. That is what we will continue to do,” Harmanpreet concluded.