India crashes out of Women’s T20 World Cup, Eight-year semifinal streak ends

India’s run in the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup came to a crushing end as they were eliminated in the group stage for the first time in eight years.

The team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, suffered a narrow nine-run defeat to Australia in their final group match, and New Zealand’s win over Pakistan confirmed India’s exit from the tournament.

The Women in Blue faced a tough campaign, managing only two wins from their four group matches.

While they secured strong victories against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, defeats to New Zealand and Australia exposed the team’s vulnerabilities.

In their last game against Australia, India chased a target of 165 but fell short by just nine runs, ending their innings at 155/7.

Harmanpreet Kaur led the charge with a solid 45, but it wasn’t enough to keep India’s hopes alive.

Reflecting on India’s performance, this marks their earliest World Cup exit since 2016.

In recent years, India had reached the semifinals in every edition since 2018, even making it to the final in 2020. However, their inconsistency and inability to close out crucial matches once again came to the forefront.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will now have to regroup ahead of the 50-over World Cup, taking lessons from their T20 journey.

New Zealand’s victory over Pakistan sealed India’s fate, securing their own spot in the semifinals and ending India’s bid for the title.

With the T20 World Cup disappointment behind them, India will need to address key areas of concern, including their approach against stronger teams and handling pressure in big matches.

The road ahead for the Indian women’s team involves introspection and preparation as they aim to evolve from semifinal contenders to serious championship threats in future tournaments.