Women’s T20 World Cup: Arundhati Reddy, Harmanpreet Kaur lead India to 6-wicket victory over Pakistan
PTC News Desk: India made a strong comeback in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, securing a convincing 6-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. This win was crucial for the Indian team, especially after their disappointing start to the tournament, where they lost to New Zealand by 58 runs in their opening match.
Chasing a modest target of 106 runs, India completed the task in 18.5 overs, keeping their hopes of qualifying for the semifinals alive. Pakistan’s captain, Fatima Sana, won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that proved detrimental as the team struggled to build momentum. The Pakistani side found themselves in deep trouble at 52 for 5 within just 13 overs.
Medium pacer Arundhati Reddy was particularly effective during this period, claiming two crucial wickets. Renuka Singh, Deepti Sharma, and Shreyanka Patil contributed by taking one wicket each.
With half of the batting lineup back in the pavilion, Nida Dar attempted to stabilize the innings with a gritty knock of 28 runs off 34 balls. However, as wickets continued to tumble at the other end, Dar became the last batter to be dismissed in the 20th over, bowled by Arundhati. Reddy’s impressive performance saw her finish with remarkable figures of 3 wickets for just 19 runs in her 4 overs.
India’s innings began with an early setback as opener Smriti Mandhana was dismissed cheaply by Sadia Iqbal in the fifth over. However, the team adopted a more cautious approach after this loss. Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues managed to guide the team to 50 runs by the end of the 10th over, building a steady partnership. Shafali scored 32 runs off 35 deliveries before being dismissed by Omaima Sohail in the 12th over.
As the match progressed, Sana provided Pakistan with some hope by taking back-to-back wickets of Jemimah and Richa Ghosh in the 16th over, creating tension for the Indian side. Nevertheless, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur played a stabilising innings, scoring an unbeaten 29 runs to ensure her team reached the target without any further loss of wickets.
In a concerning moment, when India needed just two more runs for victory, Harmanpreet experienced neck pain and had to retire hurt. However, her replacement, S. Sajana, stepped up to hit a four on the penultimate delivery of the 19th over, sealing the win for India. The victory not only boosts India’s confidence but also keeps their chances for a semifinal spot very much alive.
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