Harmanpreet Kaur reflects on India’s victory over Sri Lanka in Women’s T20 World Cup

Following India’s crucial 82-run victory over Sri Lanka in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur shared her thoughts on the team’s performance.

“A lot of things went according to our plan here. I think all the boxes were ticked today. We batted well, bowled well and especially fielded well. We have to play good cricket first of all. Our bowlers are doing well, and they are a good side, but at the same time, it’s good to see our bowlers in a good rhythm; they are giving us breakthroughs whenever we need it,” Kaur said.

Kaur earned the Player of the Match award for her impressive 52 off 27 balls, just three days after having to retire hurt during the win over Pakistan. Her innings included the largest six of the tournament so far, helping India reach a total of 172 for three. The team’s spinners then secured the victory, maintaining their hopes for a semi-final spot.

Reflecting on her innings, Kaur expressed her desire to stay at the crease. “I was in my zone and I wanted to be there for the team and keep rotating the strike. Whenever the ball was in my zone, I wanted to go for it. You have to be there and keep rotating the strike, and only when the ball is in your zone can you go for it. You can’t keep swinging and hope the ball will come onto your bat. You have to keep trusting yourself, stay in for a long time, and then execute later on. We didn’t throw our wickets away; we were there for the team, and I’m really happy with the way we played,” she said.

The opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana (50) and Shafali Verma (43) set a strong foundation for the team with a remarkable 98-run stand before both fell in successive balls during the 13th over. Kaur noted the importance of maintaining momentum. “We just wanted to go with the momentum. Smriti and Shafali gave us a really good start. They didn’t throw their wickets away, and they were calculated. I think after losing two back-to-back wickets, Jemimah (Rodrigues) and I were thinking about how we could get to seven or eight runs an over, and we just went with the flow,” Kaur added.

In response, India restricted Sri Lanka to 6 for 3 by the third over and eventually bowled them out for 90 with a ball remaining, as Arundhati Reddy and Asha Sobhana each took three wickets.

This victory places India in second position in Group A, trailing only behind defending champions Australia, whom they will face next in Sharjah. Kaur remains optimistic about her team’s potential for improvement ahead of this key match.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka has lost all three of their matches and will conclude their campaign against New Zealand on Saturday. Captain Chamari Athapaththu acknowledged the team’s struggles, stating, “We struggled in the bowling, we dropped a few catches, and we weren’t bowling the right line and length. Even the batters didn’t do our job, especially myself, Vishmi (Gunaratne), and Harshitha (Samarawickrama). We all went out early, so it’s hard to chase this kind of score. We have to bounce back and go to the whiteboard again,” Athapaththu said.

(ANI)