India Secures Crucial Win Against Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup

India's Victory Keeps Semifinal Hopes Alive

In a thrilling encounter at Manchester on June 25, India triumphed over Bangladesh by five wickets, thanks to a stellar half-century from Shafali Verma and impressive bowling performances from Radha Yadav and Shree Charani. This victory bolstered India's chances of reaching the semifinals in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Following this win, India stands second in Group A with three victories and one defeat, accumulating six points. They trail behind Australia, who have won all four of their matches. India still has one more game against Australia, and their semifinal spot is not yet guaranteed, especially with South Africa also vying for a place after winning two out of three matches.

Bangladesh chose to bat first, setting a target of 136 runs for India, finishing their innings at 136/8 in 20 overs.

Juairiya Ferdous contributed 33 runs off 31 balls, while Sobhana Mostary added 22 runs. Captain Nigar Sultana also played a key role with 32 runs, helping Bangladesh reach a respectable total.

For India, Radha Yadav was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 28 runs, while Shree Charani claimed 2 wickets for 21 runs. Renuka Thakur and Nandni Sharma each took one wicket.

In response, India faced an early setback with the loss of Smriti Mandhana for just 8 runs. However, Shafali Verma's explosive 53 runs off 34 balls, supported by Yastika Bhatia's 23 runs, formed a solid partnership of 45 runs for the second wicket. Despite a brief collapse from 76/2 to 98/4, Jemimah Rodrigues (26 runs off 15 balls), captain Harmanpreet Kaur (13*), and Deepti Sharma (5*) ensured India crossed the finish line with 19 balls to spare.

Notably, during this match, Shree Charani made history by surpassing Poonam Yadav to become the Indian bowler with the most wickets in a single ICC Women’s T20 World Cup edition.

Charani, who is currently ranked as the world’s number one T20I bowler, achieved this milestone by taking 2 wickets for 21 runs against Bangladesh. She now has 12 wickets in the tournament, boasting an impressive average of 7.08 and an economy rate of 5.31, with her best figures being 4/19. Previously, Poonam held the record with 10 wickets in five matches during the 2019/20 edition.

In comparison, New Zealand's Amelia Kerr holds the record for the most wickets in a single Women’s T20 World Cup competition, with 15 wickets in six matches at an average of 7.33.