By: The Trek News Desk
India Women registered a commanding 95-run victory over Netherlands Women in their second match of the Women’s T20 World Cup, driven by a record-breaking opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. The win marked India’s second consecutive success in the tournament.
Batting first, India posted a formidable total of 209/5, becoming the first Indian women’s team to cross the 200-run mark in Women’s T20 World Cup history. The total also stands as the second-highest team score in the tournament’s history, behind England.
The Indian innings was ignited by a blazing start from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who dominated the Netherlands bowling attack from the outset.
The pair stitched together a massive 115-run opening partnership in just 70 balls, setting the tone for a high-scoring innings.
Mandhana continued her excellent form, scoring 74 runs off 47 deliveries, registering her second consecutive half-century in the tournament. Shafali complemented her perfectly with a powerful 55 off 38 balls, bringing up her maiden fifty of the competition.
Following the explosive start, India maintained steady momentum through the middle overs. Although a few late wickets slowed the scoring slightly, the team still managed to cross the 200-run mark comfortably.
Chasing a challenging target, the Netherlands Women struggled to form partnerships and consistently fell behind the required run rate. India’s disciplined bowling attack kept pressure on throughout the innings, ensuring the opposition never found stability.
During the innings, Indian all-rounder Shreyanka Patil suffered an injury and had to leave the field, briefly disrupting India’s momentum. However, the bowling unit continued to execute its plans effectively.
The Netherlands batting lineup never recovered and fell well short of the target, eventually losing by 95 runs. India’s bowlers struck at regular intervals, wrapping up the contest in dominant fashion.
With this convincing win, India Women further strengthened their position in the tournament. The explosive opening stand and disciplined bowling performance highlighted the team’s growing confidence and depth, marking another important step in their World Cup campaign.
Source: News Agencies
