In India’s second 2024 Women’s Asia Cup match against UAE at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored her 12th T20I fifty and wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh recorded her first half-century in the format, leading India to a commanding 201/5.
India lost three wickets in the power play, putting them in early difficulties on a new field with wind blowing across. Harmanpreet, however, stabilised India’s ship with a 66 off 47 balls that included seven fours and a six. Richa then put the ideal finishing touches on things with a brilliant 64 not out off 29 balls that included 12 fours and a six, as well as 37 runs off the final two overs.
India reached a 200+ total for the first time in women’s Twenty20 Internationals when Harmanpreet and Richa combined to score 75 runs off 45 balls for the fifth wicket stand. Their tally of 201/5 has surpassed the previous record of 181/4, which was also achieved by India in their 2022 match against Malaysia, to become the best score in the history of the Women’s Asia Cup in T20 format.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma were forced to bat first, and they combined for three boundaries in the opening two overs. However, in the third over, Smriti misplayed her stroke and was caught by mid-off while attempting to loft the ball against Kavisha Egodage.
Shafali attacked the bowling of the United Arab Emirates by slog-sweeping and smacking Kavisha for four and six, respectively, and then quickly adding three more boundaries. However, Shafali got the bottom edge and was caught by the keeper in the fifth over when pulling on a short and wide ball against Samaira Dharnidharka.
Dayalan Hemalatha failed to do much in the final power-play over. He attempted to bring Heena Hotchandani back, but was outpaced and trapped. Aside from opening her bat face late to get one through the off-side to reach the half-century mark in her stand with Jemimah Rodrigues, who was continually rotating strike, Harmanpreet scored three leg-side boundaries.
Even though Jemimah was dismissed for lobbing a fuller ball to mid-off against Kavisha, Richa made sure that India maintained a strong pace throughout. She immediately started hitting boundaries, first driving Esha Oza for four and then lofting Kavisha over far off for six.
The huge over that India had been waiting for arrived in the fifteenth over when Richa drove, pulled, and square-droved his way to four boundaries in eighteen runs. Before Harmanpreet achieved her fifty in forty-one balls, Richa and she were still hitting boundaries with ease.
After that, in the 19th over, Harmanpreet hit two fours and a six off Samaira, but in the last over, he was run out for 66. In the last over, Richa showed off her big-hitting skills by hitting five straight boundaries off Heena, including her first-ever T20I half-century in just 26 balls. This also allowed India to reach a 200+ total for the first time.
India 201/5 against UAE (Harmanpreet Kaur 66, Richa Ghosh 64 not out, Kavisha Egodage 2-36) is the brief score.