Dhaka, Bangladesh, 10th July 2023: Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian Women’s cricket team, displayed her batting prowess yet again as she scored an unbeaten half-century to guide her team to a convincing 7-wicket victory over Bangladesh Women in the first T20I match at the Sher-E-Bangla cricket stadium in Dhaka. Kaur’s exceptional performance played a pivotal role in India’s triumph over their opponents.
India had a shaky start in their chase of 115 runs, losing opener Shafali Verma without scoring any runs. However, Smriti Mandhana played a crucial knock of 38 runs, setting the stage for captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Despite being given two reprieves by the Bangladesh fielders, Kaur made the most of her opportunities. The 34-year-old went on to score an unbeaten 54 runs off just 35 balls.
Kaur’s innings included 6 boundaries and 2 sixes, with the final six coming on the penultimate ball of the match. She sealed the victory for India with a boundary, with 22 balls remaining in the innings.
For her outstanding performance, Harmanpreet Kaur was rightfully awarded the Player of the Match. Her contributions were instrumental in India’s comprehensive 7-wicket win over Bangladesh Women in the first T20I.
In the opening match of the three-match T20I series, Kaur won the toss and elected to field first. Bangladesh got off to a strong start but struggled to build partnerships, resulting in a collapse. Shanthi Rani Bormon scored 22 runs, Shamina Sultana added 17, and Sobhana Mostary played a useful inning of 23 runs. Shona Akter top-scored for her team with an unbeaten 28, helping Bangladesh reach a total of 114/5 in 20 overs. However, their total proved insufficient against the dominant Indian side.
In response, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team comfortably chased down the target of 115 runs in just 16.2 overs. Bangladesh couldn’t match the strength and determination of the Indian team. Sultana Khatun took two wickets for her side but lacked support from her fellow teammates. The hosts’ lackluster fielding effort proved costly, and they will be eager to bounce back and level the series at 1-1 in the second T20I, which will be held at the same venue on July 11.
