India bow out of Women's T20 WC: Key takeaways
India's campaign in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 ended abruptly following New Zealand's win over Pakistan. The Kiwis booked a semi-final berth with a 54-run win, their first since 2016. As a result, India has been knocked out of the tournament, despite their valiant efforts throughout the tournament. Here we look at the key takeaways from their campaign.
New Zealand's victory over Pakistan seals India's fate
New Zealand's journey to the semi-finals was made possible by their comprehensive victory over Pakistan. The Kiwis posted a target of 110 runs after opting to bat first, which Pakistan fell short of, folding at a mere 56 runs. Had Pakistan beaten the White Ferns, India would have qualified for the semi-finals as NZ trailed the Women in Blue in terms of net run rate before their final league match.
India's performance in Women's T20 World Cup 2024
India finished their campaign at third position in Group A with four points, having lost to both New Zealand and Australia. Though they registered comprehensive wins over Asian rivals Sri Lanka and Pakistan, this couldn't power them to the next stage. This early exit is a major setback for India, who had reached the semifinals in the last three editions of the tournament.
Two massive losses hurt India
The 58-run loss against New Zealand in the opener severely dented India's net run rate as they were folded for just 102 while chasing 161. None of the Indian batters could even touch the 15-run mark in the game. They then lost their last match against an injury-hit Australian team. Against Australia, India went from 110/3 to 141/9.
Harmanpreet led from the front
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was at her best as she was India's highest run-scorer in three of the four games. She finished with 150 runs while being dismissed just one as her average reads 133.92 (50s: 2). Shafali Verma (97 at 24.25) was the only other Indian batter to score over 80 in the competition. Smriti Mandhana, who scored 50 vs SL, was the only other Indian half-centurion in the tourney.
How did the bowlers perform?
The dry nature of UAE tracks has significantly assisted bowlers in this edition. With seven wickets apiece, Arundhati Reddy and Renuka Thakur Singh were India's joint-highest wicket-taker. Spinners Asha Sobhana (5 at 13), Deepti Sharma (4 at 28.25), and Shreyanka Patil (4 at 21) also fared well. Deepti (7.13) was the only one among the aforementioned names with an economy rate of over 6.1.
