‘I feel a whole lot of gratitude’ - Sophie Molineux reflects on Australia’s clinical World Cup triumph

Sophie Molineux was seen as a long shot to lead the Australian team in the 2026 T20 World Cup when her captaincy was announced in January. She was not the initial favourite to become Alyssa Healy’s successor, largely due to a string of injuries that many feared might hamper her preparation for the tournament.

However, she had built a strong portfolio by leading teams in domestic tournaments, earning the faith of the selectors who ultimately chose her as the Australian skipper. While Australia suffered an under-par campaign in 2017, they successfully fixed their flaws to go on a dominant run, winning the 2020 and 2023 T20 World Cups, as well as the 2022 ODI World Cup.

“I’m extremely proud. I was extremely proud before yesterday played out. The way that the team's playing at the moment and playing for each other, how it feels, it's a really enjoyable space to be in. I'm just lucky to be able to do it with a group of incredible people. Days like yesterday, and I suppose the next few days, is when you get to stop and probably reflect. I feel a whole lot of gratitude, that's for sure,” said Molineux as quoted by ICC.

Australia took full control of the summit clash against England by striking early with the ball, restricting their rivals to a modest 150. The chase proved to be a clinical, straightforward affair, with Australia comfortably crossing the finish line in the 18th over.

“I was actually really nervous (in the) run chase. And then we got to about three runs to win, only then I could sort of relax. I suppose as soon as we got those, we ran out, and that was just pure elation. It's hard to put into words, moments like that,” said Molineux.

She faced multiple setbacks leading up to the tournament, missing the multi-format series against India due to a back injury and being limited to playing as a specialist fielder against the West Indies in March. This followed a torrid history of physical struggles, including a foot stress fracture in 2021 and a severe ACL injury that kept her out of short-format international cricket for two and a half years.