When India and Pakistan meet on the cricket field, it’s always a fiercely contested affair filled with emotion. The seventh match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was no different, with India clinching a thrilling victory by chasing Pakistan’s target of 106 in 18.5.
After winning the toss, Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana opted to bat on a sluggish, low-bounce surface. However, their start was far from ideal as they were at 41 for 4 at the end of 10 overs. But Nida stood firm, battling through a constant loss of partners. Fatima Sana provided a brief spark with consecutive boundaries, but her aggressive intent was cut short by a stunning catch from Richa Ghosh.
In the final overs, Syeda Aroob Shah’s late contributions, paired with Nida’s resilient 28, gave Pakistan a boost, and Nashra Sandhu’s boundary off the final ball brought the total to 105. Arundhati Reddy led India’s bowling attack with a brilliant 3 for 19, keeping Pakistan in check throughout.
In India’s chase, Smriti Mandhana fell early and the team struggled at 25/1 by the end of the powerplay. Shafali Verma soon found her rhythm, nearly scoring at a run-a-ball, while Jemimah Rodrigues displayed some elegant sweeps and reverse sweeps to accelerate the innings.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, though, held firm, guiding the team through the wobble. Just two runs short of the target, Harmanpreet appeared to injure her neck, but Sajana stepped in to finish with a boundary. India reached 108 with seven balls remaining, with Shafali top scoring at 32 off 35. Fatima Sana was Pakistan’s standout bowler, taking 2/23.
Not a good news for India. 🙁
Harmanpreet Kaur was seen clutching the back of her neck and walking off. 📸Disney+Hotstar
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket)
Arundhati Reddy claimed the Player of the Match award for her exceptional bowling. India’s performance drew admiration across social media platform “X” (formerly Twitter), with fans applauding the bowler’s dominance along with captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s intent. Despite the tough contest, Pakistan’s spirited fight did not go unnoticed, earning respect from cricket enthusiasts.
🚨India women won the match! 🎉🍻
Now, let’s keep the momentum going!
🇮🇳🏏— Sandeep (@singhsandeeep)
Back to Back Wicket For Captain Sana Against India 🙏🥹
— 𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝘿 𝙎𝘼𝙔’𝙎 🇵🇰 (@Babarian56r)
Harman hasn’t looked this confident for a very long time. Hope she carries this confidence for the rest of the tournament. Well played.
— Shashank (@Shashank97says)
Congratulations team India.
Very well played team Pakistan. Loved the bowling line. Specially all the wickets 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻— Noorena Shams (@noorenashams)
Fine spells from Arundhati Reddy and Shreyanka Patil 💥
— the_cricket_web (@the_cricket_web)
Fatima Sana looks like a great prospect. She is an active and agile captain. I wish her all the best.
— Madan Mohan Sharma (@mathsirmadan127)
SHREYANKA PATIL – THE STAR. 🌟
Her bowling (4-1-12-2) against Pakistan in Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 – What a bowling performance by Shreyanka Patil.
— Monish (@Monish09cric)
Loves all things female cricket