Captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Friday turned into the only Indian lady to record a century in the limited overs format, her glimmering 51-ball 103 giving India a significant advantage
In the ICC World T20 opener against New Zealand, the 29-year Harmanpreet arrived at the three-figure mark in 49 balls, rebuffing the New Zealand bowlers with eight sixes and seven fours. The captain showed others how it’s done after India was battling at 40 for three.
Selecting to bat after winning the toss at the Providence Stadium, Harmanpreet was needed to stroll into the centre-right on time, at the fall of debutant Dayalan Hemalatha’s wicket in just the 6th over.
Jemimah Rodrigues too struck an energetic 59 off 45 balls. Simultaneously, Rodrigues, only 18, became the youngest player to score a fifty in the World T20 competition.
India was in a spot of trouble when Hemalatha got out, and another wicket would have just added to their concern.
In any case, Harmanpreet and Jemimah had different thoughts, adding 134 runs for the fourth wicket in around 13 overs, which incorporated a stage when India scored 56 runs in five overs. Harmanpreet got into the mood with two sixes off Jess Watkin in the tenth over, as India arrived at 76 for the fall of three wickets. The team added an excellent 118 runs in the last ten overs, on account of a whirlwind of fours and sixes by Harmanpreet.