Women's T20 WC: India knock SL out of semi-final race
The Indian women's cricket team demolished Sri Lanka in Match 12 of the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka in Dubai. Riding on fifties from Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, India post a formidable total of 172/3. SL could never get going in response as they got folded for just 90. They have been officially knocked out of the semi-final race.
How did the game pan out?
Mandhana (50) and Shafali Verma (43) gave India a solid start with a 98-run opening stand. Kaur (52) took over thereafter as India posted 172/3 batting first. The Lankans were off to a terrible start, having been reduced to 6/3. Anushka Sanjeewani (20) and Kavisha Dilhari (21) tried to fight but their efforts weren't fruitful as the tail of falling wickets continued.
27th fifty for Mandhana
Mandhana scored exactly 50 off just 38 balls, hitting four boundaries and a maximum. She has now raced to 3,562 runs in 144 WT20I matches at an average of 28.72 and a strike rate of 122.06, as per ESPNcricinfo. She has scored 27 half-centuries. In the women's T20 WC, she now owns 518 runs at 22.52 (50s: 4).
Mandhana's record against Sri Lanka
This was Mandhana's third half-century against the Sri Lankan team in WT20Is. She has now scored a total of 429 runs in 21 matches against them at an average of 23.83. Notably, Mandhana couldn't do much in India's first two matches in the ongoing season as she recorded scores worth 7 and 12.
Verma becomes youngest to score 2,000 WT20I runs
Shafali Verma created history by becoming the youngest cricketer to score 2,000 runs in Women's T20 Internationals. She achieved the feat at a mere 20 years and 255 days, comprehensively breaking the previous record of Ireland's Gaby Lewis (23 years and 35 days). Among Indian players, Verma bettered the record of fellow player Jemimah Rodrigues.
Verma joins elite group of Indian women cricketers
Verma's achievement puts her in an elite club of Indian women cricketers. She is now the fifth Indian batter in Women's T20Is to score 2,000 runs, joining the likes of Mandhana, Kaur, Mithali Raj, and Rodrigues. Meanwhile, she was dismissed for 43 off 40 balls as she hammered four sixes. She now has 2,025 runs at an average of 25.63.
Kaur joins elite group of batters in Women's T20Is
Kaur scored an unbeaten 52 off just 27 balls, including eight fours and a six. She recorded her fastest half-century in T20Is. Her 27-ball effort is also the fastest fifty by an Indian in WT20 WCs. She bettered Mandhana's 31-ball half-century vs Australia in 2018. She powered India to 172/3. This is the team's second-highest in the history of the Women's T20 World Cup.
2nd fifty against SL for Kaur
Kaur also became the third player to reach the milestone of 3,500 runs in this format. As per ESPNcricinfo, in 176 WT20Is, Kaur now owns a tally of 3,522 runs at 28.63. She owns one ton and 13 fifties. Against SL, she has 434 runs at 31 (50s: 2). Meanwhile, 672 of her runs have come in 38 matches in the T20 WC.
Mandhana, Verma script these partnership records
Mandhana and Verma, who added 98 runs, became the first pair to register seven 50-plus stands in WT20Is in a calendar year. They also became the first pair to complete 800 partnership runs in WT20Is in a calendar year. (823). Meanwhile, India recorded their biggest win in Women's T20 World Cup in terms of runs (82).
Career-best figures for Sobhana
Leg-spinner Arundhati Sobhana returned with figures worth 3/19 across four overs. As per ESPNcricinfo, the 33-year-old recorded her best figures. Playing her maiden WT20 WC, she now owns five wickets at 13 . Overall, she has completed nine wickets across six WT20I matches. Her economy is a stunning 6.39. This was her maiden WT20I match against SL.
Another three-fer for Reddy
Like Sobhana, pacer Arundhati Reddy also returned with 3/19 in her four overs. She claimed identical figures in her preceding game against Pakistan. As per ESPNcricinfo, she has now raced to 28 wickets across 32 WT20Is (ER: 7.64). In WT20 WCs, she now has 11 wickets in nine games at 24. Reddy has seven scalps in six WT20Is against Sri Lanka.
Reddy joins this elite list
Reddy became just the fourth Indian bowler to claim successive three-fers in WT20 WCs. She joined the likes of Anuja Patil, Ekta Bisht, and Poonam Yadav.
Here are the updates in the points table
With this win, India have now advanced to the second place in th Group A points table. They now own two wins after losing their opener to New Zealand. Their net run rate (+0.576) is only second to table-toppers Australia (+2.524). Meanwhile, SL have been knocked out as they have lost their first three games in this edition.
