With their backs to the wall, Harmanpreet Kaur & Co had only one choice – to turn around and fight. Fight they did and how! On the brink of an early exit from the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, India sizzled in the Dubai heat on Wednesday. They registered a resounding 82-run victory – the highest margin of victory by India in a T20 World Cup tie – over Sri Lanka to pull themselves back into contention. It wasn’t just the margin of victory, but the team’s show of strength and character that stood out. India ticked all the boxes to jump to the second place in Group A with six points and a run rate of 0.576.
After a five-match lull, Harmanpreet fired up her cold bat when it was most needed. Harmanpreet’s unbeaten 27-ball 52 (8x4; 1x6), along with a fine 98-run opening stand between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, ensured India posted a competitive 172/3, the highest team total in the tournament so far.
