India suffered a disappointing defeat in the Women’s T20 World Cup against England on 18 February, their first defeat in the tournament. Despite a heroic effort, the Blue in Blue were defeated by a narrow margin of 11 runs in a thrilling match at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. However, India still have a chance to reach the semi-finals and take control of their own destiny. They will take on Ireland in their final group-stage match on Monday, 20 February, at the same venue.
,@mandhana_smriti Departs but not before he scores a well-deserved half-century! #TeamIndia 105/4 after 16 overs to chase.
Follow the match _ https://t.co/EvGQ5Eom80#t20worldcup , #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/bZTWhf1Uzx– BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 18, 2023
India have won two of their three matches so far, while England have won all three. If India beat Ireland in their final group-stage game, they should qualify for the semi-finals. However, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side face a tough fight to top the group.
To finish first in the group, India will have to beat Ireland and hope that England lose to Pakistan. Even with those results, India’s Net Run Rate (NRR) of +1.542 is much lower than England’s NRR of +1.766. If Pakistan beat West Indies later in the tournament, the Women in Green NRR of +1.542 is also higher than India’s, which could result in India’s exit from the tournament.
India’s batting performance against England was below par as they struggled to chase down a moderate target. Shafali Verma was dismissed early, and Smriti Mandhana’s knock was hampered by a lack of support from her teammates. Although Richa Ghosh put up a valiant effort towards the end, the demanding rate was too high for India.
England’s spinners played a key role in their victory as they put pressure on India during the middle overs and limited their scoring. England captain Heather Knight is happy with her team’s performance and hopes to continue their winning streak in the coming matches.
Lastly, India will have to win their match against Ireland to ensure their place in the semi-finals. However, they would also need to rely on the result of the England-Pakistan match and their own NRR to determine their final position in the group. Regardless, India will need to improve their batting performance and put up a strong team effort in their final group stage match to progress to the next round of the tournament.