A spectacular 49-ball century from captain Harmanpreet Kaur, followed by a wicket-laden display from the spinners, took India to a 34-run win against New Zealand in the opening game of the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 in Guyana.
Kaur’s record-breaking hundred – first by an India in women’s T20Is – set India on their way in the tournament opener, as her team finished at 194/5, the highest total in Women’s World T20 history.
The Indian total proved 🐷a lit𝄹tle too much for New Zealand, who ended on 160/9 despite a 50-ball 67 from former skipper Suzie Bates at the top of the order.
Earlier, the 29-year-old Harmanpreet smashed 103 off just 51 balls, with the help of seven fours and eight sixes. Along with the Indian skipper, 18-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues played with a maturity above her years as she became the youngest player to score a fifty at the Women’s World T20, in what was her maiden appearance at the ICC event.
Jemimah and Harmanpreet added a 134-run partnership for the fourth-wicket, India’s highest for any wicket in all T20Is.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
What performance by Indian Team and a special knock by 💯🎉 Grea🦋t Start to . Keep Goingไ 💪
— IamKedar (@JadhavKedar)
Fantastic start tౠo the tour🐷nament for our girls. Brilliant innings from Harmanpreet Kaur and will be delighted with this great start to the Wimen’s
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif)
Congratulations skipper and whole t꧅eam for win the first t20 World Cup🦋 match against NZ 🇮🇳⭐️👏👏👏😊
— Rahul Sharma (@ImRahulSharma3)
What a brilliant start to the . This is a big win for India's women cricketers. Just the kind of game to draw more girls in.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)
It was a clinical allround show. Ag⛦gressive show of combined with an amazing footwork of stolen the early show. It was followed by brave spin bowling effort from that nailed in opener by 35 runs.
— Reemma malhotrra (@ReemaMalhotra8)
UNSTOPPABLE 💥💫🏆
— Sushma Verma (@ImSushVerma)
A captain's knock from . First 💯 for India in T20Is & that too at the biggest stage. Well played! 👌
— Jhulan Goswami (@JhulanG10)
Harmanpreet Kaur , wonderful hundred. Grea𒁏t bat swing in a rea🌠lly zordaar innings
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)
Whatever BCCI are paying Harmanpreet Kaur, the ICC should pay twenty times that. She𒈔’s slapping women’s cricket into people’s houses.
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber)
Mind. Blown. Six months ago Harmanpreet was struggling for consi💎stency. Now, in what could be a virtual quarter-final, she turns it on like this. What a player.
— Snehal Pradhan (@SnehalPradhan)
Jemimah Rodrigues 18y-65d now fifth youngest to register a fifty in women's 👏👍👌 and by far the youngest Indian to do so!
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman)
Already a fan of the use of feet from young Jemimah Rodrigues…all the good things we heard about her are not misplaced one bit. More power to you.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
Fifty on World Twenty20 de💦but for India: (Men/Women)
Virat Kohli (50 v AFG, 2012)
JEMIMAH RODRIGUES (59 v NZ, 2018)— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats)
That's Harmanpreet Kaur for you.
— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
Well done Harmanpreet!! Well played👏👏👏
— merissa aguilleira (@mraguilleira)
Wow! 💯 not a bad way to start the World T20
— Alex Blackwell (@AlexBlackwell2)
3 from 15 to 103 from 51!༒ 😳 maiden T20 💯 was all class and has set the tone for the . 👊🏽👏🏽💪🏽
— Mel Jones (@meljones_33)
Wow! lighting up the tourname🐲nt first game 💯 🔥🔥
— Isa Guha (@isaguha)
She’s Harmanpreeꦑt Kaur of Indian Women’🦩s Team. 😊🙌
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
W💎ell played Kaur 👏🏽 Amazing iꦗnnings and great start to the 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
— Hayley Matthews (@MyNameIs_Hayley)
The India bench applaud a fantastic century 🤪from capt🥃ain ! 👏 👏 👏
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup)
What a magnificent 💯 by 🔥
👌— Kainat Imtiaz (@kainatimtiaz16)
What a start to women’s t20 cricket World Cup.Brilliant batting by to keep things calm in the middle & supporting who played an unbelievable knock to become 1st India꧟n women to score t20 hundred 👏👏.I’m sure bowlers can pull things off from here👊
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45)
Great innings from . Tꩲhis is whܫat we expect from the .
All the best to ♕ for their game against Bangladesh later tonight.
— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards)
It wasn't exactly a difficult decision 😎
Congratulations 👏— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup)
