IND W vs NZ W: India starts ICC Womens T20 World Cup 2024 campign with 58-run loss; face Pakistan next

    The Indian women's cricket team faced a batting collapse and could not chase down the target of 161 runs set by the New Zealand women in their first match in Dubai.

    IND W vs NZ W

    IND W vs NZ W

    Captain Harmanpreet called this team the best Indian team at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, but the performance they put in today (October 4) wasn't good enough from start to finish. The Indian women's cricket team faced a batting collapse and could not chase down the target of 161 runs set by the New Zealand women in their first match in Dubai. 

    Interestingly, New Zealand had lost 10 matches in a row before entering this World Cup, and with this 58-run victory, they have turned things in their favour. The Women in Blue, who are one of the top teams in the T20 World Cup, will need to win all their upcoming matches, starting with Pakistan, if they want to make it to the semi-finals from Group A, which also includes Australia and Sri Lanka.

    After opting to bat, the White Ferns got off to a strong start with the opening pair of Suzie Bates (27 off 24) and Georgia Plimmer (34 off 23) posting a solid total, followed by skipper Sophie Devine's unbeaten 57. Renuka Singh took two wickets, while Arundhati Reddy and Asha Sobhana claimed one each.

    In response, India saw Shafali Verma (2 off 4) fall early, followed by Smriti Mandhana (12 off 13). What followed was a severe batting collapse, with Harmanpreet Kaur (15 off 14), Jemimah Rodrigues (13 off 11), Richa Ghosh (12 off 19), Deepti Sharma (13 off 18), Arundhati Reddy (1 off 4), Pooja Vastrakar (8 off 7), Shreyanka Patil (7 off 13), and Asha Sobhana (6* off 10) all dismissed. Finally, Renuka Thakur Singh fell for a duck, and India was bowled out for 102 in 19 overs.

    As the Indian side prepares to face Pakistan next, they will need to be wary, as the Women in Green won their match against Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka.

    Teams:

    India Women (Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Thakur Singh

    New Zealand Women (Playing XI): Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine(c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze(w), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson