Indian umpire Vrinda Rathi will make history as the first Indian woman to officiate an ICC Women's World Cup final.
The match takes place at Lord's Cricket Ground on Sunday, July 5, 2026.
Hosts England face Australia in the championship decider. Rathi will stand on-field alongside Jacqueline Williams.
This marks only the second time an Indian umpire has officiated an ICC World Cup final. The first was Ram Babu Gupta in 1987.
Rathi, 37, is from Navi Mumbai. She transitioned from a scorer to an umpire before rising through domestic and international ranks.
Former BCCI umpire Ganesh Iyer recalled encouraging her. "She was a scorer originally.
Then, she became an umpire at my insistence. 'You can have a career in umpiring,' I told her."
In 2014, Rathi cleared the umpires exam conducted by the Mumbai Cricket Association. Four years later, she passed the BCCI umpires exam.
In 2020, she and Narayanan Janani were promoted to the ICC Development Panel of Umpires.
Both teams enter the final with six-game winning streaks. Australia defeated the West Indies in the semi-finals, while England beat South Africa.
Australia batter Phoebe Litchfield said the hosts will carry more pressure. "I think so," she said.
"Pressure, it's so fickle, right?"
Litchfield added that England would likely relish the atmosphere.
"It's all what you feel, but I think as a home side, I don't know what it feels like, but I think they're probably just going to relish it."
She advised England to enjoy the occasion. "And yeah, if I was them, it's probably just to enjoy it.
You know, we've both made it to the final, so the best team will win on the day."
Australia has won six T20 World Cup titles. Three of those championships came by defeating England in previous finals.
Litchfield praised the current English lineup under captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and head coach Charlotte Edwards. "Yeah, (they are) playing some really good cricket," she said.
She anticipated a competitive match for fans.
"If you look at the both teams have played throughout the tournament, you'd say that these two are the best sides."
Litchfield noted the significance of a large audience.
"And I think for the fans that come out, it's going to be a superb match regardless of the outcome."
She expressed excitement about the global showcase.
"So I'm pretty excited to be able to play in it, but I'm sure the 30,000 that come along will see a pretty cool performance too."
The batter said the intense environment will push both teams.
"We've both seen a bit of pressure, but I think both teams probably haven't been tested to the extent of a final."
"The pressure and the high stakes cricket is going to bring out the best of each team and hopefully we see that on Sunday," she added.
