The Indian women's cricket team has made it to the semifinals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020. The tournament is being held in Australia from 21 February to 8 March 2020. India has been placed in Group A along with Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. In this article, we will take a look at how Harmanpreet Kaur and her team reached the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.
India's journey in the T20 World Cup began with a match against Australia on 21 February. The Indian team was up against the hosts and the defending champions in their opening game. Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 115 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. India's bowlers did a good job of restricting the Australian batters. Poonam Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for India, as she took four wickets in her four overs, conceding just 19 runs.
India's run-chase did not start well as they lost opener Shafali Verma early in the innings. However, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues steadied the ship and put on a partnership of 53 runs for the second wicket. Mandhana scored 35 runs off 23 balls, while Rodrigues scored 26 runs off 33 balls. After their dismissal, India lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually finished their innings at 99 for the loss of nine wickets, falling short of the target by 17 runs.
India's next match was against Bangladesh on 24 February. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first. India put up a much better batting performance in this match, as they scored 142 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Shafali Verma was the star of the innings, as she scored 39 runs off 17 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur also played a crucial innings, scoring 40 runs off 29 balls.
Bangladesh's run-chase got off to a good start as their openers put on a partnership of 39 runs for the first wicket. However, after their dismissal, Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 124 runs in 19.4 overs. Poonam Yadav was once again the pick of the bowlers for India, as she took three wickets in her four overs, conceding just 18 runs.
India's third match was against New Zealand on 27 February. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 133 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Sophie Devine was the top scorer for New Zealand, as she scored 52 runs off 48 balls. Shikha Pandey was the pick of the bowlers for India, as she took three wickets in her four overs, conceding just 14 runs.
India's run-chase got off to a terrible start as they lost three wickets for just 17 runs. However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma put on a partnership of 51 runs for the fourth wicket to steady the innings. Harmanpreet Kaur scored 26 runs off 27 balls, while Deepti Sharma scored 21 runs off 28 balls. After their dismissal, India lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 133 runs in 19.4 overs, resulting in a tie.
India's fourth and final group match was against Sri Lanka on 29 February. India won the toss and elected to bat.
The Indian women's cricket team had a strong start to the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, winning their first four matches in the group stage. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and opener Shafali Verma were instrumental in the team's success, with Verma setting records as the youngest Indian player to score a half-century in international T20 cricket.
In their first match, India defeated defending champions Australia by 17 runs, with Verma's 29-ball 46 setting the tone for the match. They went on to defeat Bangladesh by 18 runs, New Zealand by four runs, and Sri Lanka by seven wickets to top their group with eight points.
In the semifinals, India faced off against England, a team they had defeated in the group stage. However, this time, India was unable to repeat their success, as they were bowled out for just 112 runs, with Verma scoring 2 runs and Kaur contributing 16 runs. England chased down the total with ease, winning by eight wickets.
Despite the loss, India's campaign in the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup was a strong one, and they showed that they are a team to be reckoned with in international cricket. The performances of Verma, Kaur, and the rest of the team were inspiring, and they will no doubt continue to make strides in women's cricket in the years to come.
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The Indian women's cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, has reached the semifinals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 after a stellar performance in the group stage.
India started their campaign with a convincing win against hosts Australia, thanks to a brilliant knock of 42 runs off 34 balls by young opener Shafali Verma. The team followed it up with another win against Bangladesh, with spinner Poonam Yadav picking up four wickets in a thrilling low-scoring game.
Their third match against New Zealand was washed out due to rain, but India secured a spot in the semifinals after South Africa defeated West Indies in the last group game.
India will now face England in the semifinals, a team they have already beaten in the tri-series before the World Cup. The Indian team will be banking on the form of their opening pair - Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana - and the spin bowling of Poonam Yadav and Radha Yadav.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been struggling for form, will also need to step up with the bat and lead her team from the front.
India last reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2017, where they lost to England. They will be hoping to go one step further this time and lift their first T20 World Cup trophy.