BIRMINGHAM, England — Deepti Sharma delivered an impressive performance, taking five wickets and helping India bowl out Pakistan for just 106 runs in their opening match of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.
Sharma took the last three wickets in just five balls, as India defended their score of 170 and claimed a convincing 64-run victory in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,814 at Edgbaston, marking a record attendance for a World Cup group match.
In another exciting match on the same pitch, Bangladesh created history by successfully chasing down a target to win their first World Cup match, finishing at 141-4 with five balls to spare, breaking their previous record of 126 runs in a successful World Cup chase.
Sharma and Mandhana Lead the Charge for India
Just seven months after playing a key role in India’s ODI World Cup victory, where she claimed five wickets and scored 58 runs, Sharma began this T20 World Cup on a high note.
She took the first two wickets in Pakistan’s innings, which started off strong. However, by the 10th over, India was in control, and when Muneeba Ali, who had been dropped twice, was run out after scoring 41, Pakistan’s hopes began to fade.
After Pakistan captain Fatima Sana fell shortly after, at 77-5, the team struggled to recover.
Sharma’s impressive late bowling effort of 5-10 makes her the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20 cricket with 166 wickets. Shree Charani provided strong support with figures of 3-21.
“I always believe in myself that whenever the right time comes, I will step up,” Sharma stated confidently.
Historically, India has performed well against Pakistan in World Cups, but the women’s teams have been more evenly matched. Interestingly, both teams opted not to shake hands before or after the game.
India faced challenges during their powerplay, but Smriti Mandhana, who was dropped early on, found her rhythm and quickly reached 50 runs.
Mandhana had another chance at 55, yet she was eventually caught in a brilliant catch by Sana.
Following Mandhana’s dismissal, India faced a minor collapse, including the loss of captain Harmanpreet Kaur at 36. As they approached the end of the innings, needing a strong finish, Richa Ghosh came in hot with 34 runs off just 17 balls.
Ghosh helped India score 23 runs from newcomer Tasmia Rubab’s final over, setting a challenging target of 171 runs for Pakistan. It’s been a decade since Pakistan last defeated India in a T20 World Cup matchup.
BANGLADESH SHINES AGAINST THE NETHERLANDS
In a thrilling encounter, Bangladesh chased down the Netherlands’ target of 139 runs, thanks in part to a solid performance by opening batter Juairiya Ferdous, who scored her second half-century since her T20 debut in January.
Ferdous was instrumental to the chase, contributing 26 of the first 27 runs and finishing with 50 runs off 33 balls before being dismissed.
Despite a few close calls, including two dropped catches, Ferdous maintained her momentum, hitting two sixes over the midwicket rope before her wicket fell at 67-1.
While Dutch bowlers Silver, Heather Siegers, and Caroline de Lange (2-27) tried to slow Bangladesh down, a strong partnership between Sharmin Akhter and Shorna Akter ensured a smooth finish, securing Bangladesh’s fourth win in seven T20 World Cups.
Netherlands captain Babette de Leede made 50 runs before being run out in the 17th over, but her efforts helped keep the team together.
Bangladesh’s bowling attack was led by medium-pacers Marufa Akter, who took 2-31, and Ritu Moni, who only conceded 17 runs.
Looking ahead, Tuesday will feature matches between New Zealand and Sri Lanka and England and Ireland.
