Fresh start: New T20 era offers Cup-less Aussies a clean slate

Sophie Molineux says Australia's changing of the guard presents something of a clean slate for the team to brush off the pain of consecutive World Cup semi-final defeats, as they look to restock their trophy cabinet.

Molineux officially takes the reins of Australia's T20I side this week ahead of Sunday's first match against India at the SCG.

With just six matches in the format on the calendar between now and the T20 World Cup in June – where Australia will be fighting to avoid missing out on the title in consecutive tournaments for the first time – there is limited opportunity for Molineux, her deputies Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner, and coach Shelley Nitschke to hone their 20-over approach.

"We're almost starting again," Molineux said on the newly relaunched The Scoop Cricket podcast this week.

"We're on the back foot. We haven't got a full trophy cabinet anymore, full of World Cups.

"So for me, I look at it as a bit of a fresh start, or a clean slate to be able to look into what we actually want to do as a group, what heights we think we can get to.

"And I do think that the group's full of generational talent – the depth in Australian cricket is going through the roof.

"There's girls like Lucy Hamilton coming into the squad, it's a really exciting period of time for us.

"I suppose to be in a position where I can potentially impact some change and hopefully find some new heights for that team (is exciting)."

Sunday's game will be Australia's first since losing the ODI World Cup semi-final to India in Navi Mumbai last October.

It was their second failure to reach a tournament final in as many events, having lost a semi to South Africa at the T20 World Cup in 2024.

It ended a run of five consecutive wins at major tournaments between 2018 and 2024, but Molineux believes the disappoint will light a fire under the team.

"The pain of probably losing those last couple of World Cups, and how that was probably done, I suppose, in semi-finals – that stung us all," she said.

"We're all so driven to win and to compete, and we're highly competitive people.

"So I think naturally you're going to find the group is in a position to pounce on anything that comes at it.

"It's just leveraging that and making sure we use the most of that bit of determination we have at the moment."

Molineux's appointment to replace Alyssa Healy as captain across all formats last month took many outside the Australian set-up by surprise, given how interrupted her last few years have been due to several major injuries.

But the Victorian's leadership had been nurtured since she was appointed Melbourne Renegades captain in 2021, and having watched Molineux lead the 'Gades to the WBBL|10 title against the odds in 2024, she remained well on the radar of the national selectors.

They sounded out the 28-year-old late last year around her interest in the role and she was one of three candidates interviewed as Healy's successor, alongside McGrath and Gardner.

Scoop co-host Molly Strano, who has played alongside and under Molineux at Victoria and the Renegades, said she had not been surprised to see her long-time mate handed the top job.

"A lot of people that have played cricket with Soph, whether she's been the captain or just a teammate, understand why she's been appointed as the Australian captain," Strano said.

"And I guess the reason why, from my perspective, is (because) they just want Soph to be Soph.

"Just because she's being appointed captain, it doesn't mean she has to change one thing, and that's why she's so universally loved, is because of the character that she is.

"She brings so much fun to the change room. She naturally brings people together without even trying."

Molineux, meanwhile, said her experiences over the past five years leading the Melbourne Renegades – either on-field, or in an off-field capacity while recovering from her ruptured ACL in 2024 – had taught her a great deal about balance leadership with her responsibilities as an allrounder.

"I think the best leaders that I play under are the ones that lead by example and lead by action," she explained.

“That is the big part of it for me, and making sure I don't tip too far into the side of neglecting my own performance, or dipping too far in (to a point where) I'm not managing myself and being able to stay fit and healthy and perform as well.

"And I suppose I've had that (injury) history, and I've probably got the balance wrong at different times.

"So now I feel like I'm - touch wood - pretty well equipped to be able to do that ... I feel like I'm probably in a position now that to be able to balance that out better."