India clinched a comfortable win against the 2016 T 20 World Cup champions – West Indies with a comfortable 6-wicket win. Star all-rounder and dependable off-spinner from India Deepti Sharma became the first bowler to scalp 100 wickets in T20 international. Both in the men’s and women’s sides for team India.
In the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa, the Indian Women’s team played their second match against the West Indies at the Newlands ground in Cape Town. After winning the toss, the West Indies scored 118 runs, losing 6 wickets, and set India a target of 119 runs. Stephanie Taylor scored the highest 42 runs for the West Indies, while Shemaine Campbell contributed 30 runs. Spinner Deepti Sharma took three wickets from the Indian team, completing her 100th wicket in T20 Internationals. Deepti made Effie Fletcher (0 runs), Stephanie Taylor (42 runs) and Shemaine Campbell (30 runs) her victims, while Renuka and Pooja Vastrakar got a wicket each.Team India, chasing the target given by the West Indies, won the match by 6 wickets, marking their eighth consecutive win over the West Indies in T20 cricket and their second consecutive win in this World Cup. This victory brings the Indian team closer to the semi-finals, and they will take on England in their next match on 18 February. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was confident of building up the win from the start as “bowlers, especially Deepti Sharma bowled with tight one and took wickets with aggression and bowled according to plan”.
Team India secured a smooth victory in the 19th over, despite losing four wickets. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh’s impressive half-century partnership of 72 runs for the fourth wicket was instrumental in the victory. Kaur scored 33 runs, while Ghosh remained unbeaten on 44. Karishma Ramhark took two wickets for West Indies, while Hayley Mathews and Chinelle Henry each took one. Shefali Verma and Smriti Mandhana got Team India off to a flying start, scoring 28 runs in the first two overs. However, Mandhana was dismissed for 32 runs, while Verma played solid innings of 28 runs.
The West Indies were dealt an early blow when Pooja Vastrakar got Hayley Mathews caught by Richa Ghosh on the first ball of the second over. Deepti Sharma then took the second wicket on the third ball of the 14th over, getting Campbell caught by Smriti Mandhana. On the last ball of the 14th over, Deepti gave the third blow to the West Indies by LBW to Stephanie Taylor. On the second ball of the 15th over, Smriti and Richa gave India their fourth success by running out Henry. Shabika was bowled by Renuka Singh on the last ball of the 19th over, and Deepti bowled Fletcher on the second ball of the 20th over to take the sixth wicket of the West Indies.
Deepti Sharma created history for India in this match, taking three wickets for just 15 runs in four overs. With her third wicket, she became the highest wicket-taker for India in T20s, surpassing Poonam Yadav’s record of 98 wickets. Furthermore, Deepti also achieved the milestone of taking 100 wickets in T20 Internationals, becoming the first Indian, male or female, to do so. Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record for most wickets taken by a male cricketer from India, with 91 wickets. Deepti is the ninth female bowler to take 100 wickets in T20 Internationals, having achieved this feat in just 89 matches. The record for most wickets taken in T20I is held by Anisa Mohammed of the WI, with 125 wickets.
Sunil Yash Kalra is the founder of Indian Sports Fan and Women’s Cricket Historian.