On a high after two easy victories on the trot, including one against defending champion Australia, the Indian women's cricket will aim to inch closer to a semifinal berth when it takes on New Zealand in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup at Melbourne on Thursday. (More Cricket News)
The Indians have hardly broke a sweat in their 17-run and 18-run wi𒁏𓄧ns over hosts Australia and Bangladesh in their previous two matches, and they are perched at the top of five-team Group A standings with four points from two matches.
A win against New Zealand on Thursday will take the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side on the threshold 💎of a knock-out stage spot, to be competed among the top two teams from Group A and B.
In the two matches so fไar, the Indian team has been impressive both in batting and bowling.
The 16-year-old sensation Shafali Verma has been the standout batter with a whirlwind 17-ball 39 against Bangladesh, following her 29 a🐠gainst Australia.
One-down Jemimah Rodrigues has also been among the ruꦜns with 26 and 34 in the t༒wo matches so far.
Only captain ♔Harmanpreet, among the top order batters, has not s🎶cored big and she is due big innings.
India is also likely to be bolstered by the re﷽turn of star opener Smriti Mandhana who missed the match agai𒀰nst Bangladesh due to fever.
The middle-order has also done its bit with Deepti Sharma playing a major role against Australia with an unbeaten 49 while Veda Krishnamurthy hit a matcꦆh-defining 11-ball 20 not out for a late flourish against Bangladesh.
The bowling department has been led admirably by seasoned🐲 leg-spinner Poonam Yadav -- seven wickets in the first two matches -- with pacer Shikha Pandey ably supporting her 🐓with five scalps so far.
New Zealand, though, have a better head-to-head record against India in recent years, having won the last three match🦩es between the two sides.
Exactly a year back, they had beaten the Indian team 3-0 in a three-match T20 Inte꧅rnational home series.
India will, however, remember their massive 34-🌊run win against New Zealand in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2018 in the West Indies. Harmanpreet had struck a memorable 103 to lead her side to victory.
New Zealand have some top-class players in their ranks in the form of captain and all-rounder Sophie Devine and top-order batswoman Suzie Bates while pacer Lea Tahꦅuhu💙 and leg-spinner Amelia Kerr will lead the bowling department.
Th🏅ey will go into this mat𒐪ch on a high after an easy seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Devine had led her side from the front with an unbeat♏en 75 off 55 balls at the top of the order in th♑at win.
Squads:
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Ha꧃rleen Deol, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastraka🌃r.
Ne🎃w Zealand: Sophie Devine (capt), Rosemary Mair, Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Katey Ma💛rtin (wk), Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Rachel Priest, Lea Tahuhu.
Match Starts at 9:30 am IST.
