Women's T20 World Cup 2024: 3 records broken in India’s massive 82-run win vs Sri Lanka in Match 12
At a critical time in the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup, India put up one of their most complete performances against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Wednesday, October 9.
The batters smashed 172/3 on a not-so-flat track - the highest score in the tournament so far, and the bowlers shot the Lankans down for just 90. A return of form from seniors Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana was dovetailed by skillful three-wicket hauls from Asha Sobhana and Arundhati Reddy.
The icing on the cake was India's much-improved fielding. Not only did the team not drop any easy catches, but Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh, and Renuka Singh picked up a stunner each, displaying what this team could be at its best.
On the way, they also broke three big records. Check them out:
#3 Most 50-plus stands in a year
India's rise in the game started with an excellent opening stand between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who were both under fire for conceding the record for one of India's lowest-ever T20I powerplay scores against Pakistan. This time they put up 98 runs for the first wicket in just 12.4 overs.
This was their seventh 50-plus stand in T20Is this year. Now they have the most number of such stands in a calendar year for any wicket in women's T20Is.
The last best was six, jointly held by New Zealand's Suzie Bates & Sophie Devine (2018), Australia's Alyssa Healy & Beth Mooney (2018); South Africa's Tazmin Brits & Laura Wolvaardt (2023); and UAE's Kavisha Egodage & Esha Oza (2023).
(Stat courtesy - Cricbuzz)
#2 Fastest 50 for India in Women's T20 World Cup
Mandhana and Shafali fell on consecutive balls after their stand with the former getting run-out and the latter throwing her wicket away with the false shot. But India not only avoided a collapse but bettered the scoring rate on the slow wicket against a ball that had got progressively soft and thus difficult to hit.
The credit for that went to skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. She smashed eight fours and a mammoth six to reach 52 off just 27 deliveries, on the last ball of the innings. Initially, she built momentum with well-timed cuts through the off-side and then unfurled her powerful thumps down the ground and over the leg side.
It was the skipper's fastest fifty and also the quickest for the Women in Blue in a T20 World Cup. The previous best was Mandhana's 31-ball half-century against Australia in Guyana in the 2018 edition of the tournament. Harmanpreet now has three (32 balls and 33 balls the others) of the five positions on the list.
(Stat courtesy - Cricbuzz)
#1 India's biggest-ever win in Women's T20 World Cups
Sri Lanka made India wait for the points but Deepti Sharma took the 10th wicket in the final over to seal an 82-run win. India came to the match to surpass New Zealand on NRR in the points table but they also went past Pakistan.
The margin of win was their biggest in Women's T20 World Cups, breaking a 10-year-old record held by the 79-run thumping of Bangladesh in Sylhet in 2014. The next three on the list are against Bangladesh (72 runs, Bengaluru, 2016), Sri Lanka (71 runs, Basseterre, 2010), and Ireland (52 runs, Guyana, 2018).
(Stat courtesy - Star Sports)