ICC WWT20, Ind vs NZ: Milestones achieved by Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur set the World T20 on fire as she blazed away to a blistering 103 of 51 deliveries against New Zealand on Friday at Guyana. Her maiden T20I ton helped India put up a daunting total of 194/5 in the allotted 20 overs to which New Zealand scored 160/9 in their 20 overs. India won the game by 34 runs and thus announced their arrival into the tournament in a grand fashion.
Electing to bat first, India got off to a wobbly start and were 41-3 by the end of mandatory power-play of 6 overs. The onus was on skipper Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues to steady the ship. The pair added a mammoth 134 runs for the 4th wicket in just 76 deliveries.
Rodrigues scored a scintillating 59, but it was Harmanpreet’s show as she smashed her way to a breath-taking century in just 49 deliveries. She showed no mercy on the Kiwi bowlers as they were clobbered all over the park. Her innings propelled India to a mammoth score of 194/5, which at one point looked unlikely.
In reply, New Zealand got off to a good start thanks to Suzie Bates and Anna Peterson. However, with the required run-rate climbing above, the Kiwis lost wickets quickly and fell short by 34 runs in the end.
In a game that had many records broken, let us look at 5 records that Harmanpreet Kaur broke in this game.
#1. First Indian woman to score a century in a T20 International
Before this game, there were as many as 9 T20 International centuries scored in Women’s T20 International cricket.
Deandra Dottin from West Indies was the first woman cricketer to score a T20 century in the international stage. She achieved this feat against South Africa in the year 2010, when she scored 112* in 45 deliveries. She, along with Danielle Wyatt of England, holds the record for most number of T20I centuries in women’s cricket. Both have two T20I centuries to their name.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s 103 against New Zealand makes her the first Indian woman to score a century in T20 International cricket. She is also the first Asian woman cricketer to register a T20I century.
The previous highest score for India in women’s T20I was held by Mithali Raj. She scored 97*against Malaysia women earlier this year in the Women’s T20 Asia cup.