All-rounder Tahlia McGrath has been named vice-captain, with the decisions on both players ratified at a Cricket Australia (CA) meeting on Friday.
Leading international cricketers, including Laura Wolvaardt and India's World Cup hero Deepti Sharma, will go under the hammer at the Women's Premier League auction in Delhi on Thursday, with bidding wars also expected for homegrown Kranti Gaud and Shree Charani.
Australia defeated India by 10 wickets in the women's one-off day-night Test in Perth. India, resuming at 105 for 6, were all out for 149, setting Australia a target of just 25 runs, which they chased down comfortably.
Mitchell Starc addresses criticism surrounding his delayed arrival for the IPL, explaining that he is managing an injury and remains committed to Delhi Capitals.
Backed by the pace of Annabel Sutherland and spin of Sophie Molineux, who has shaped up well for the slow sub-continent wickets, Australia will take the match against Pakistan to further streamline their strategy before taking on tougher teams like England, India and South Africa in the competition.
Batting stalwart Alyssa Healy has acknowledged that Australia will have to negotiate the spin challenge in a big way to stake claim to the World Cup for a record-extending eighth time in the Indian subcontinent.
Australia A bowlers, led by pace-bowling stalwart Kim Garth, wreaked havoc as India A suffered a demoralising 114-run defeat in the second unofficial T20I in Mackay as the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
India opener Smriti Mandhana has risen to the top of the ICC Women's ODI Batting Rankings.
Captain Alyssa Healy struck a magnificent unbeaten 113 to lead Australia to a crushing 10-wicket win over Bangladesh, virtually sealing his side's semifinal spot in the Women's World Cup, in Visakhapatnam, on Thursday.
Ahead of India game, Alyssa Healy derives confidence from Australia's incredible depth
She has never been dismissed for below 25 by India in women's ODIs.
Jemimah Rodrigues played the innings of her life, slamming a century for the ages as India pulled off a record chase to storm into the Women's World Cup final after a five-wicket victory over defending champions Australia in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
Jemimah Rodrigues scored a fifty, but India were bowled out for 198 against Australia on the first day of the day-night Test. Australian pacers Sutherland and Hamilton caused significant damage. India fought back with early wickets, leaving Australia at 96 for three at the close of play.
Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Rodrigues among players retained for WPL 2026: Report
Kranti Gaud, from Ghuwara in Chhatarpur, Bundelkhand, played a crucial role in leading the Indian women's cricket team to the World Cup final with her bowling performance.
Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy struck unbeaten half-centuries as defending champions Australia thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to virtually qualify for the semi-finals of the women's T20 World Cup, in Gqeberha, South Africa, on Thursday.
'We're noticing all surface-to-missile sites that were just sitting there ready to go.'
Georgia Voll capitalised on three dropped chances to smash 101 while Phoebe Litchfield struck 80 as Australia beat India by five wickets in Hobart to seal the women's ODI series 2-0 despite fifties from Harmanpreet Kaur and Pratika Rawal.
The four dropped catches let Australia, who would be India's toughest opponents apart from England in the women's World Cup scheduled later this month, off the hook and they managed to finish the task of chasing 281 runs in double-quick time.
UP Warriorz will lean heavily on new captain Meg Lanning as they seek to bounce back after finishing bottom of the standings last season.
From Sunny Deol's famous Dhaai Kilo Ka Haath to Shah Rukh Khan's Bade, Bade Deshon Mein... Axar made his teammates mouth these Bollywood, leaving everyone in the room in splits.
Smriti Mandhana credits Jemimah Rodrigues' aggressive batting for helping her find rhythm in India's T20I series-clinching victory against Australia. India won the third T20I by 17 runs, securing their first T20I series win Down Under since 2016.
Nat Sciver-Brunt: Didn't want to replicate other players by getting out in 90s
Images from the WPL match between UP Warriorz and Royal Challengers Bangalore played in Mumbai on Friday
Australia defeated India by 19 runs in the second T20I to level the three-match series, powered by a record opening stand between Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney.
Australia expecting tough contest, under no illusions given India's depth of batting: Nitschke
England Captain Ben Stokes was involved in a heated on-field exchange with Australia's No.3 Marnus Labuschagne, an incident that drew strong reactions from former players in the commentary box.
The seasoned duo of Meg Lanning and Sophie Devine were also among the marquee picks. Giants bought Devine for Rs 2 crore, while UP Warriorz landed Lanning for Rs 1.90 crore.
Fine half-centuries by Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav and Tanuja Kanwar propelled India A to a thrilling series-clinching two-wicket victory over Australia A, after Alyssa Healy's brilliant knock set the bar high for the visitors, in the second women's one-dayer, in Brisbane, on Friday.
India will search for a spark of magic reminiscent of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's legendary knock eight years ago as they take on the mighty Australia in the World Cup semi-final on Thursday.
WPL 2026 auction to be held on November 27 in New Delhi
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates on Wednesday visited the Mahakaleshwar temple to offer prayers ahead of their Women's World Cup fixture against England at Indore's Holkar Stadium on Sunday.
India opener Smriti Mandhana has extended her lead at the top of the ICC ODI ranking for women batters following her fine run at the ongoing Women's Cricket World Cup.
Opener Alyssa Healy bludgeoned England's bowlers in a furious 170 as Australia set a mammoth victory target of 357 in the Women's World Cup final in Christchurch on Sunday.
Smriti Mandhana's second-fastest hundred in women's ODIs went in vain as India's quest for a world-record chase in the series-deciding third game against Australia ended in a 43-run defeat, in New Delhi on Saturday.
Australia will also play a three-match ODI series against India ahead of the 50-over showpiece event.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain on Friday said Harmanpreet Kaur boasts of a fantastic World Cup record and it's time the Indian women's team skipper delivered like her Australian counterpart Alyssa Healy.
After being outplayed in the opener, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team roared back with a stunning 102-run victory, which was Australia's heaviest defeat in terms of runs. It was also India's first win over them in 12 matches.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur rued a stunning lower-order collapse as world champions Australia chased down a record 331 to seal a three-wicket win in the Women's World Cup, Visakhapatnam, on Sunday.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was at a loss for words after her team stormed into the Women's ODI World Cup final but she did make a point to say that the players have already set their sights on the summit clash and are determined to "give their best" against first-timers South Africa.
