India secured a significant victory against Sri Lanka in their group match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, boosting team morale. The match took place on Wednesday, October 9 at the Dubai International Stadium, where Harmanpreet Kaur and her team emerged victorious by a margin of 82 runs. This victory propelled India to second place in the points table and significantly improved their net run rate from -1.217 to +0.560, enhancing their chances of progressing to the semi-finals.
This win marked India's largest victory by runs in the history of the T20 World Cup, surpassing their previous record of a 79-run victory against Bangladesh in 2014. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka joined Kathryn Bryce's Scotland as the second team to be eliminated from the competition following their defeat.
Meanwhile, New Zealand finds themselves in a precarious position after slipping to fourth place in the table with a net run rate of -0.050. Looking ahead, India's final league game will be against the defending champions, Australia, who have won both of their matches so far. The upcoming match promises to be a thrilling encounter as India aims to secure their spot in the semi-finals.
India made a strong statement by opting to bat first. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma displayed great intent, forming a solid partnership of 98 runs for the opening wicket in just 12.4 overs. Mandhana showcased her power by hitting India's first six of the tournament and went on to score a quick 50 off 38 balls before being run out. Shafali also impressed with her classy strokeplay, scoring 43 runs and becoming the youngest batter to reach 2000 runs in Women's T20Is, surpassing Irish batter Gaby Lewis' record.
After Mandhana's departure, Shafali fell to Chamari Athapaththu. However, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur stepped up to the challenge. Jemimah, who had struggled in the previous match against Pakistan, contributed 16 runs off 10 balls before being dismissed by Ana Kanchana.
Harmanpreet then took charge and played a blistering innings, scoring a rapid 52 not out off just 27 balls with eight fours and a six. Her fifty was the fastest by an Indian in the Women's T20 World Cup, propelling India to a total of 172 for three.
In response, Sri Lanka faced early setbacks and were struggling at 28 for three in the powerplay. Athapaththu's poor form continued as she was dismissed for just one run by Shreyanka Patil. Renuka Singh then removed two key Sri Lankan batters, Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama.
Leg-spinner Asha Sobhana further tightened the screws in the middle overs, claiming the wickets of Sanjeewani, Sugandika Kumari, and Inoshi Priyadarshini to finish with impressive figures of 3 for 19 in her four overs.
