Shafali Radha Anchors India's Chase
Shafali Radha played a match-winning knock of 53 not out off 38 balls as India defeated Bangladesh by five wickets in the Women's T20 World Cup on Friday. The victory keeps India in contention for a semi-final berth, with the team needing to win their remaining group matches to advance.
Chasing a target of 124, India reached 124/5 in 18.4 overs, with Radha's aggressive batting proving decisive. She struck eight fours and one six during her innings, providing the impetus after India lost early wickets.
Bangladesh's Innings
Earlier, Bangladesh posted 123/8 in their allotted 20 overs after being put in to bat. Captain Nigar Sultana top-scored with 39 off 37 balls, while Sobhana Mostary contributed 28. For India, pacer Meghna Singh took 2/18, and spinner Deepti Sharma claimed 2/20.
Bangladesh struggled to build partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals. India's fielding was sharp, with two run-outs restricting the total.
India's Chase: Early Wobbles
India's run chase began poorly, losing opener Smriti Mandhana for 9 in the second over. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur fell for 12, and Jemimah Rodrigues managed only 7, leaving India at 45/3 in the seventh over. However, Radha held firm, adding a crucial 49-run partnership with Deepti Sharma (23) to steady the innings.
After Deepti's dismissal, Radha ensured no further hiccups, finishing the match with a boundary in the 19th over.
Road to Semi-Finals
With this win, India moved to four points from three matches, keeping their semi-final hopes alive. They face Sri Lanka in their next group match, needing a win to stay in contention. A victory would likely set up a crucial clash against Australia in the final group game.
According to captain Harmanpreet Kaur, "Shafali played a brilliant knock under pressure. We are taking it one game at a time and are focused on qualifying for the semi-finals."
Bangladesh, meanwhile, are virtually out of the tournament after suffering their third consecutive defeat.
