Birmingham, June 15: The Indian women’s cricket team kicked off their journey in the 2026 T20 World Cup with a spectacular victory over Pakistan, winning by 64 runs. Star all-rounder Deepti Sharma played a crucial role in this win, earning the Player of the Match award for her outstanding bowling performance.
Deepti delivered an exceptional spell, taking five wickets while conceding just 10 runs in her four overs. With this achievement, she became the third Indian woman bowler to claim five wickets in a T20 World Cup match.
Before Deepti, Renuka Thakur and Priyanka Roy had reached this milestone. Renuka achieved this feat during the 2023 World Cup against England, taking five wickets for just 15 runs. Priyanka Roy had previously accomplished the same against Pakistan in 2009, giving away only 16 runs. Deepti’s economical bowling performance surpassed both.
In the match, India won the toss and opted to bat first, scoring 170 runs for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs. Smriti Mandhana was the standout performer, scoring a brilliant half-century with 68 runs off 44 balls. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed with 36 runs off 35 balls, while wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh added a quick 34 runs, including one six and five fours, off just 17 balls.
For Pakistan, Muniba Ali was the only successful batsman, scoring 41 runs off 35 balls. The rest of the batting lineup faltered, leading to Pakistan’s collapse at 106 runs in 17 overs.
In addition to Deepti Sharma’s remarkable performance, Shree Charani also bowled effectively, taking three wickets for 21 runs in her four overs. Shefali Verma chipped in with one wicket.
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