Opener Mithali Raj held the innings together with an unbeaten half-century as Indian women notched up a comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the first T20 International, in Potchefstroom, on Tuesday.
Playing eleven cannot be questioned, Indian women had a bad day, says Edulji
When the two sides met in the inaugural edition of the ICC Women's Championship in Bengaluru in November 2014, South Africa had won the series 2-1.
Medium-pacer Deepti Sharma grabbed six wickets before Veda Krishnamurthy scored a half-century as India women completed 3-0 clean sweep after posting a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI on Friday at Ranchi. Deepti followed up her four-for in the previous game with figures of six for 20 to bundle out Sri Lanka for a paltry 112 in 38.2 overs. India then crossed the target in just 29.3 overs with Veda Krishnamurthy top-scoring with an unbeaten 61. Sri Lanka got off to a good start after electing to bat, with openers Yasoda Mendis (14) and Prasadani Weerakkody (19) adding 33 before Deepti took two wickets in two consecutive deliveries to trigger a dramatic collapse. Although captain Shashikala Siriwardene (14) and Dilani Manodara (23) later combined for a 32-run sixth-wicket stand, wickets kept falling and Sri Lanka were ultimately bowled out for 112 from 94 for five at one stage. Debutant Preeti Bose also put up an impressive show, returning figures of 8-4-8-2.
England women scripted a sensational recovery from a difficult position to register a consolation two-wicket win in the third and final ODI to prevent hosts India from completing a whitewash in the three-match series.
Harmanpreet Kaur's half-century went in vain as West Indies women eked out a 15-run victory over India to complete a 3-0 sweep of the T20I series in Malapadu, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.
Skipper Mithali Raj led from the front with an 89-run knock to save the Indian women's cricket team from a whitewash by guiding it to a comfortable five-wicket in the third and final ODI against Australia in Hobart on Sunday. The Indians, having already surrendered the series by losing the first two matches, managed to end the tour on a positive note with a consolation victory. Electing to bat after winning the toss, the Australian team lost a couple of early wickets before half-centuries by Elyse Perry (50) and Alex Blackwell (60) helped the team post 231/7 in their 50 overs. Blackwell's 60 from 64 balls was noteworthy given that Australia's strong batting line-up struggled to score freely in the face of a disciplined bowling display from India.
We should not be compared to male cricketers, says Mithali Raj
History beckons the Indian women's cricket team when it takes on England in the ICC World Cup final in London on Sunday, aiming to cap a fairytale run with a maiden title triumph and put some past demons to rest.
India captain Virat Kohli's phenomenal batting form fetched him the BCCI's best cricketer award for two seasons, while World Cup stars Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana were chosen for the women's equivalent of the honour.
Former India coach Anil Kumble is in the running for the Coach of the Year award in the inaugural edition of the Indian Sports Honours, instituted by the RP-SG Group in association with the foundation of skipper Virat Kohli.
India will face their biggest challenge so far in the ICC Women's World T20 when they lock horns with a gifted Australian team in an inconsequential game, in Guyana, on Saturday.
Not considered among the top T20 teams in the world, India produced a power-packed performance, winning the opener against a formidable New Zealand side by 34 runs after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's 51-ball 103.
Indian women's team was dealt a big blow after vice-captain and premier batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the upcoming limited overs series against England with an ankle injury.
'I never look at my individual score when I'm batting. I only look at the team total.'
The much-hyped women's exhibition IPL T20 match between Supernovas vs Trailblazers witnessed an exciting finish but failed to attract sizeable crowd at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium on a sultry Tuesday afternoon despite the presence of the world's top women cricketers.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with an all-round show as India outplayed arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets to remain the sole unbeaten team in the Women's Asia Cup T20 tournament in Bangkok. Kaur bagged two crucial wickets helping India restrict Pakistan to 97 for seven in 20 overs before taking her team over the line with an unbeaten 26 off 22 balls.
A fine bowling performance by India Women, led by left-arm spinner Gouher Sultana's four-wicket haul, helped the team post a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka Women in the first ODI of the three-match series in Visakapatnam.
Harmanpreet, who was the second highest run-maker during the recently concluded ICC Women's World T20 event, gained three slots to reach the third position.
Nicole Bolton struck an unbeaten 100 off 101 balls after Australian spinners bamboozled the Indian batting to set up a crushing eight-wicket win in the opening game of the three-match series, which is part of the ICC Women's Championship.
'I and all the overseas players have been really impressed with the standard of the domestic players'
Hanging on to fourth spot on the points table, a loss tomorrow will shatter India's semi-final hopes.
The Indian women's cricket team took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka with a six-wicket win in the second match here on Wednesday. Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka could manage only 178 for nine in the allotted 50 overs at the JSCA International Stadium Complex. 18-year-old Deepti Sharma was the wrecker-in-chief, picking up four for 23 with her medium pace bowling, to set up the home side's win. Skipper Mithali Raj then remained unbeaten on 53 to guide her team home with as many as 41 balls to spare. India were 179 for four in 43.1 overs when the winning run was scored. Raj, who struck four boundaries in her 80-ball knock, was supported by opener Smriti Mandhana (46), who narrowly missed out on her fourth successive fifty-plus score, and Harmanpreet Kaur (41). Mandhana hit four boundaries and a six in her run-a-ball innings, while Kaur found the fence six times while facing 61 balls.
Indian women's ODI captain Mithali Raj said cricket has helped her deal with the adversities of life.
The new Da da ding Nike ad, featuring actor Deepika Padukone, has gone viral. It has been appreciated by most but panned by some, and despite the mixed reviews it has nearly crashed the internet.
When defending champions Australia compete in the Women's Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne on Sunday, they will earn the same as their male counterparts would - in stark contrast to their rivals, India. In cricket-mad India, male players are revered as gods, paid handsomely and showered with lucrative endorsement deals, from watches and shoes to snacks, headphones and even toothbrushes. The women barely get a look-in.
Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney struck the highest scores in ICC Women's T20 World Cup final history as record-breaking Australia secured a famous fifth title on home soil, in Melbourne, on Sunday. A record-breaking attendance for a women's cricket match of 86,174 watched on as Australia downed first-time finalists India by 85 runs at the MCG, with the openers setting the tone for a clinical performance.
Images from the women's T20 World Cup match between India and New Zealand in Melbourne, on Thursday.
The ever-improving Indian women cricketers could get a chance to become household names, just like tennis star Sania Mirza and shuttle queen Saina Nehwal, by televising their matches, feels national team captain Mithali Raj.
Indian women's cricket team paid the price for a poor batting display against arch-rivals Pakistan, losing the crucial group league fixture by two runs via Duckworth-Lewis method in the ICC World T20, in New Delhi, on Saturday.
When the World Cup began, no one gave them a chance. But the nail-biting final will go down in the record books and so will our girls.
Schutt became the first Australian bowler to claim a hat-trick in this format.
'We need to see the bigger picture preparing for the World Cup.'
India suffered a 115-run loss against South Africa in the Women's World Cup in Leicester on Saturday.
India took a giant stride towards clinching a semi-final spot with another convincing 16-run victory over Sri Lanka in a one-sided ICC Women's ODI World Cup encounter in Derby.
India cricket captain Virat Kohli and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu were on Monday recommended for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna by the awards selection committee.
In a letter written to Rai, COA member Edulji accused the chairman and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri of breaking rules while appointing Ravi Shastri as the men's team coach in July last year.
Williamson has a chance to topple Kohli at the top of the rankings.
The Indian women's team begins its three-ODI series against England at home on Friday in the absence of star player Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury.
Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who was promoted in the first two ODIs against West Indies, has admitted that batting at the top of the order makes her "feel good" and gives a different kind of confidence altogether. Sharma was promoted to the top-order in both the matches of the ongoing one-day series and she responded with responsible contributions.
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