New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): Australia's vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner is set to play her 100th T20I match when her side takes on West Indies in St Vincent on Friday, with the milestone moment arriving at a crucial juncture as the team builds momentum for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in England.

The 28-year-old all-rounder, one of Australia's key figures in the middle-order, is using the landmark moment to reconnect with the fearless approach that defined her early years in international cricket.

Also Read | Real Betis vs Panathinaikos UEFA Europa League 2025-26 Free Live Streaming Online.

"I was someone that had no fear, and I guess as I've gotten older and more mature, I've gained more fear in the way that I approach life and just cricket in general," Gardner told Cricket Australia, as quoted by the ICC.

"It's trying to harness a little bit of that, not stepping over the line to just being completely reckless, but for me, the brand of cricket that I play, I try to take the game on. So when I'm under the pump, really trying to harness that and channel that. That's when I'm playing my best cricket."

Also Read | Aston Villa vs Lille UEFA Europa League 2025-26 Free Live Streaming Online.

Australia are fine-tuning their preparations following back-to-back semi-final exits in ICC events, including losses to India in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 and South Africa in the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup.

While she has enjoyed impressive success in ODIs in recent times, translating that form into T20Is remains a work in progress for the all-rounder.

"In this format, my role within the middle-order is challenging at times. You might come in when the team's on top, or you come in when we're not on top. It's summing up the situation really quickly, and finding my gears really fast, and it's probably something that I haven't done overly well in this format for a prolonged period of time," she admitted.

In the 99 WT20Is, Gardner has made 1482 runs at an average of 25.11 and has taken 81 wickets with an average of 20.59. She is one of the best all-rounders for Australia.

The ongoing series against West Indies serves as Australia's final major assignment before the World Cup, and Gardner believes the team is drawing on lessons from the past to rediscover its dominant edge.

"If I look back at that 2017 World Cup that we lost, we were just playing really timid cricket, and then we had that evolution of, 'let's try and take the game on, let's be really fearless'. We've bought into that ever since then, and it's almost an unwritten rule when you come into this side, that's the brand of cricket that you play," she said.

Serving as co-vice-captain alongside Tahlia McGrath under new skipper Sophie Molineux, Gardner expressed confidence in the current squad's ability to deliver on the biggest stage.

"I think just having a lot of belief and confidence that the personnel that are here are the right people to win those trophies. She had her own little imprint on the team through that Indian series, but now that she takes full reins, I'm super excited to see where she's going to take the team." (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)