Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Jemimah Rodrigues, Pooja Vastrakar shine as they help secure India a comprehensive 20-run victory against West Indies in a warm-up game ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup held at the ICCA 2 Ground in Dubai on September 29.
At the toss, West Indies selected to field first. During India's innings, Jemimah Rodrigues scored a remarkable 52 runs off 40 balls. Apart from her, none of the players could make an impact in the game. Openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandana scored 7 and 14 runs respectively. Even Capatin Harmanpreet Kaur was dismissed at 1 off 3 balls. Yastika Bhatia chipped in with a handy 25-ball 24, which featured a four and a six, while opener Smriti Mandhana (14) and Deepti Sharma (13) also made useful contributions. At the end of 20 overs, India was at 141 with the loss of eight wickets.
As West Indies came to bat, Indian bowlers made sure to give a tough fight. Openers Hayley Mathews and Qiana Joseph were dismissed at 0 and 1 respectively. Then came Shemaine Campbelle (20) and Afy Fletcher (21) who tried to stabilize the innings but couldn't see their team through. Chinelle Henry made a significant impact when she entered the match, scoring 59 runs off 48 balls. Her performance included six fours and two sixes, posing a tough challenge for the Indian bowlers.
India's bowling unit worked in tandem and West Indies were able to score only 121 for 8 in their stipulated 20 overs. India's Pooja Vastrakar gave a hard fight with three wickets haul, Deepti Sharma (2/11) grabbed two wickets. Renuka Singh (1/15), Asha Sobhana (1/7), and Radha Yadav (1/24) chipped in with a wicket apiece.
The Women's T20 World Cup 2024 will begin at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on October 3, with the final taking place at Dubai International Stadium on October 20. India will start its first match against New Zealand on October 4. The next match will be played against Pakistan on October 6 and on October 9 against Sri Lanka. India vs Australia match will be played in Sharjah on October 13.
