Shafali Verma played a blistering knock of 63 runs off 38 balls to steer India to a five-wicket win over Bangladesh in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup on Thursday. India chased down the target of 108 runs with 5.3 overs to spare, registering their second consecutive victory in the tournament.
India's dominant powerplay
Chasing a modest total, India got off to a flying start. Smriti Mandhana fell cheaply for 6 runs off 9 balls, but Shafali Verma took charge from the other end. She single-handedly fired India to 63 for one in the powerplay, hitting 11 boundaries and one six during her innings. Her aggressive batting put Bangladesh under pressure early on.
Shafali's knock included a flurry of boundaries off the Bangladesh bowlers, particularly off-spinner Rumana Ahmed, whom she hit for three consecutive fours in the fifth over. She reached her half-century in just 31 balls, the fastest fifty of the tournament so far.
Bangladesh's batting struggle
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first. They managed to post 107 for 8 in their 20 overs, largely thanks to a gritty 30 off 34 balls from Nigar Sultana. The Indian bowlers were disciplined, with Poonam Yadav taking 2 for 18 and Deepti Sharma claiming 2 for 22. Bangladesh's innings never gained momentum as they lost wickets at regular intervals.
Shafali Verma was adjudged Player of the Match for her match-winning performance. India will next face Australia in their third group stage match on June 28.
