Ash Gardner and Australia's bid to reclaim the crown

On a burning March afternoon in 2024, Ash Gardner wore a resigned look after her training session for Gujarat Giants in north Bengaluru, waiting for the cricket season to end.

Gardner was one of the vital cogs in a side struggling to buy a win. Named Australia's Women Cricketer of the Year in two of the previous three seasons, she had firmly established herself as one of the world's premier all-rounders. But during that WPL campaign, she struggled. In eight matches, she scored only 120 runs and picked up seven wickets. Her team lost all eight league games and finished with the wooden spoon.

It was an unusual sight: a world-conquering athlete, part of a national team that has almost forgotten what defeats are like, waiting to go home and forget this one-off season-ending tournament.

That WPL edition was an anomaly in Gardner's career. She regained her mojo — maybe not touching the peaks she once did, but continuing to be a threat with both bat and ball, and finding a way back to victories.

This time, however, the question isn't about her form but Australia's status. Gardner isn't entering this World Cup final as the reigning champion in either white-ball format. But even without a world title to defend, she exuded confidence on the eve of the 2026 T20 World Cup final.

"We've played some really good cricket so far, and different people have stood up at different times. It's always a nice thing to take momentum going into a final. In front of a packed-out Lord's… we're going to be doing all of our homework and making sure we're really confident."

Australia's dominance is such that they've rarely found themselves looking for major momentum; for the longest time, it has simply been about minor fixes. Gardner took time to make an impact but has found her rhythm as the tournament progressed, scoring 53* and 35* with the bat in the last two games, and a spell of 2/13 in the semifinal against West Indies.

"Cricket's such a funny one. It's a very humbling sport. When you're trying to ride that confidence to really utilize it, it's almost like you make it at times. You can feel like you're hitting the ball well but then make no runs. It's trying to take out the positives."

"For me, I've got my game plan I want to stick to. It's making sure I keep doing that and keeping both sides of my game really simple, working with my partner down the other end."

"In tournament play, sometimes you're searching for consistency. I feel like I probably haven't had the impact I would have liked, especially with the ball. I've been a little bit inconsistent. When Soph's thrown me the ball, I probably haven't played the role she wanted."

Against West Indies, she first stemmed the flow of runs when the opposition had made a brisk start, then struck twice in an over to trigger their collapse.

"It was probably more of a mindset thing. I tried to make my game really simple, focus on looking at the stumps when I was bowling. When I was narrowing my focus, I could execute a little bit better. We knew that keeping the stumps in play for a long period of time, with the variability in the bounce, really helped. Making sure we're really simple in how we operate, focusing on ourselves and adjusting if needed."

Not winning the last two white-ball World Cups hasn't changed one theory about this Australian team: they are always favourites to win big tournaments. It's a tag the players have embraced without fuss.

"The media always have this expectation that Australia should do well. We have the belief that we are the best team, and having that belief is just part of the puzzle. Sometimes you forget about that stuff. We haven't had the campaigns we would have liked in the past, but forgetting about that and being in the here and now is something we've really worked on."

"We've done a lot of work off the field as a team. When the unit's in a really good place, everyone's enjoying themselves — that's one of the most important things. The result will happen. Someone's got to lose, someone's got to win. It's making sure you're enjoying the process along the way."

"Not having any trophies in the cabinet at the moment has been frustrating over the last 18 months. But with where the team's at, I don't think we've been playing as good cricket in a long time. We can take confidence out of what we've done and hopefully win another trophy on Sunday."

The challengers waiting are England, another side that hasn't been pushed in this tournament, reaching the final without dropping a point. They will have the crowd support, and history — winning every single Women's World Cup played at home.

Gardner's journey has mirrored Australia's: a rare setback, a gradual return to form, and now one match to reclaim the crown.

"You have dreams and hopes that you see yourself standing on one of the balconies at Lord's lifting up that trophy in front of some fans. But we have to think about the process. It's hard not to think too far ahead. You've got to think about all the things you need to do first. Hopefully that's what happens. Bring it on."