India-W is set to visit Australia for their upcoming T20I and ODI series. Notably, this will be the two sides’ first encounter since the 2025 World Cup semi-finals, which India won after Jemimah Rodrigues’ heroic run chase.
While the Women in Blue might have taken the World Cup title from their grasp, touring Australia will still be a daunting task for them, as per all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner. The 28-year-old, who was part of the Australian teams that won the 2018, 2020, and 2023 T20 World Cups and won the 2022 World Cup, recently claimed that despite the challenges from the Indian side, the hosts are confident going into the series.
Ashleigh Gardner Makes Huge Claim Ahead Of India Series
India-W are scheduled to tour Australia, starting on February 15, for three T20Is, three ODIs, and a Test match. In a recent interview with cricket.com.au, the Australian all-rounder shared that the host side’s familiarity with their home ground and conditions will give them an edge over the visitors.
Additionally, Gardner stated, despite their loss in the World Cup semi-finals, they are still the best team in the world. She shared, “We’ve certainly been put under pressure recently. But I can still sit here confidently saying that we’re the best team in the world. They challenged us in the ODI series before the World Cup and then had the upper hand in that semi-final. They’re also coming over to our conditions, which we know better than them. If they do challenge us, we know what to do in those moments as well.”
Gardner further added, “Over the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve only lost about two games, and I think the two games that we lost were both in semi-finals. It kind of shows the consistency of the group. It’s just about putting those pieces together to hopefully win those trophies.”
Notably, Australia were also eliminated in the 2024 World Semi-finals after losing a low-scoring match to South Africa.
India Set For Australia Tour
The Women in Blue will start the tour on February 15, 2026, and will continue till March 6, 2026, ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is slated to start from June next year and will be hosted by the UK.