When Sophie Molineux arrived in the home dressing room at Lord’s on Friday, she walked out onto the balcony and surveyed the iconic ground.
For a moment, her mind slipped forward nine days, to the potential of playing in a T20 World Cup final and of even lifting a trophy.
Quickly, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind.
Two more matches stand between Australia and a place in the June 5 final and after their last two ICC semi-final disappointments, Molineux knows attention must stay on the immediate task at hand.
For Australia, that is Sunday’s showdown against India – a chance to cement top spot in the group and to consign their fierce rivals to an early exit.
“That’s the big thing – it’s literally trying to live in the moment and be as present as possible,” Molineux told reporters at Lord’s on Friday.
“It’s so easy in a tournament or in a World Cup when there’s a lot of expectation or attention or pressure to skip ahead.
“But you just can’t do that at World Cups. Each game, there’s something on it.
“We know that this week could be really special as well, so what we can control is today’s training session or the next ball when we’re playing and a big focus for us to not get too far ahead.”
If Molineux has been feeling added pressure in her first World Cup as captain, it has not shown – her calm, cheerful demeanour has permeated across her squad as they rolled undefeated across their first four matches.
Of course, the biggest tests are yet to come, with a semi-final – and if they win that, the final – looming.
“I’ve loved it,” Molineux continued.
“It’s definitely been a little bit different to my previous World Cups.
“There’s probably a little bit more responsibility and things to do, but at the same time, I’ve absolutely loved it.
“I suppose at World Cups, you ride the waves, and we’ve been really good and consistent as a group over the last few months.
“We’re looking forward to the next week or so … that’s what we do all the hard work for, and I feel like we’re really well placed as a group moving into whatever’s next.”
The 28-year-old’s modus operandi is to never take herself too seriously – she knows when to knuckle down when it matters, and when to take the mickey out of herself.
Molineux has a flair for creating alter egos and she’s wheeled out a new one on this tour, introducing the neon lycra-clad aerobics instructor ‘Jane’ to her team following their first 400km coach journey from Leeds to Southampton.
‘Jane’ took her team through a mobility session – where there was as much laughter as there was stretching – to the bemusement of the New Zealand squad, who happened to be passing by.
“You can’t get away with anything these days,” Molineux laughed.
“We’ve done a bit of bus travel, there’s been a bit of time going from place to place and I suppose there’s two ways of looking at it.
“One, it’s a hassle. Or two, it’s a great opportunity to sit on the bus and connect with each other, review and preview games.
“And then I suppose on the other side of it is just to make sure that we stay upbeat – and that’s probably a big part of my leadership is to make sure that the group is in a good place.
“I suppose when the time’s right— I don’t get it right all the time, but sometimes when you feel that the group needs a little bit of something, I’m happy to do that.”
Molineux’s approach to leadership has been honed across five years at the helm of the Melbourne Renegades, during which she’s navigated her own serious injuries and took her team from cellar dwellers to 2024 champions.
Her personality is different from Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy – although she does possess elements of Lanning’s steel and Healy’s larrikinism – and since taking over the top job at the start of the year, has set about doing things firmly her own way.
“They’re three very different personalities … they all had their positives and things that worked for them, and they’re all very different, which is a really cool thing,” Australia vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner said.
“I think the transition to Soph has been really seamless.
“She’s always someone that’s willing to make fun of herself to make other people laugh, but she always just has that real care and enjoyment side to the way that she runs this team.
“She always thinks about the people first, and she wants to have as much enjoyment as possible.
“On the field, she’s a really calm person – she’s someone that will just give you the reassurance that you need sometimes out there, and she’s always got a smile on her face as well.
“Having a leader like that, and someone that’s super consistent, whether we’re under the pump or not, is someone that you can turn to.”
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham. Travelling reserve: Tahlia Wilson
Australia’s Group 1 fixtures
June 13: beat South Africa by 65 runs
June 17: beat Bangladesh by nine wickets
June 20: beat Netherlands by 98 runs
June 24: beat Pakistan by 113 runs
June 28: v India, Lord’s, London, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 1: The Oval, London, June 30, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 2: The Oval, London, July 2 (3:30am July 3 AEST)
Final: Lord’s, London, July 5, 11:30pm AEST
Click here for the full tournament schedule
All matches will be broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video
