Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes fitness remains one of the biggest areas where the Indian women's cricket team must improve if it wants to consistently challenge the world's best sides in T20 cricket. Speaking after India's ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign ended, Chopra said athleticism has become a decisive factor in the shortest format, where fielding and power-hitting often determine results. Chopra said, "One area where Indian women's cricket will have to improve is fitness, and this format, especially, highlights that aspect. If you want to compete against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in the shortest format, you'll have to be a lot fitter."
Explaining his point further, the former batter added, "In the longer formats, you can still stay relevant because of your skill and craft, but when it comes to T20s, which is a dynamic format, your fielding, how well you cover the ground, and how far you can hit the ball matter a lot more."
Chopra stressed that while India's players possess plenty of cricketing talent, matching the physical standards of top teams is now essential for sustained success. He believes improved fitness will not only enhance fielding standards but also help batters generate more power and allow players to maintain high intensity throughout a T20 match. According to Chopra, raising athletic standards could be a key step in India's pursuit of major ICC titles in the shortest format.
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Australia Women eliminate India from Women's T20 World Cup with record-breaking chase
India's campaign in the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup came to a disappointing end after suffering a six-wicket defeat to Australia in their final Group A match at Lord's on Sunday. Needing a win to secure a place in the semi-finals, Harmanpreet Kaur's side posted a competitive total of 170/4 after being asked to bat first. Captain Harmanpreet led from the front with a fighting half-century, while Jemimah Rodrigues also played a crucial knock to help India finish strongly.Despite defending a challenging target, India could not contain Australia's experienced batting lineup. The chase looked difficult initially, but Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner completely changed the game with a match-winning 100-run partnership.
Perry scored 56, while Gardner remained unbeaten on 53 as Australia reached the target in 19 overs, completing the highest successful run chase in Women's T20 World Cup history.
The defeat knocked India out of the tournament and handed South Africa a place in the semi-finals alongside Australia. India's bowlers struggled to break the crucial partnership, allowing Australia to seize control during the middle overs. Although the batters had given the team a strong platform, the inability to defend 170 proved costly in the must-win encounter. With the World Cup journey ending in the group stage, India will now look to reflect on missed opportunities and focus on improving ahead of future ICC tournaments. The result also sparked discussions about the team's consistency under pressure and areas that require improvement.
