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 little 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 In🔥dian Team and a special🥂 knock by 💯🎉 Great Start to . Keep Going 💪
— IamKedar (@JadhavKedar)
Fantastic start to the tournament 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 team for win the first t20 World Cup matc🦩h 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 allroundඣ show. Aggressive show of combined with an amazing fo🙈otwork of stolen the early show. It was followed by brave spin bowling effort from that nailed in opener by 35 runs.
— Reema Malhotra (@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. Great bat swin🔥g in a really zordaar innings
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)
Whatever BCCI are paying Harmanpreet Kaur, the ICC should pay twenty times that. She’s slapping women’s cricket into people’s ওhouses.
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber)
Mind. Blown. Six months ago Harmanpreet was struggling for consistency. Now, in what cꦺould 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 Twenty🌟20 debut 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 c🌠lassꦺ and has set the tone for the . 👊🏽👏🏽💪🏽
— Mel Jones (@meljones_33)
Wow! lighting up the tourn♚ament first game 💯 🔥🔥
— Isa Guha (@isaguha)
She’s Harmanpreet ꦉKaur of Indian Women’s Team. 😊🙌
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
Well played Kaur 👏🏽 Amazing innings and g💛reat start to the 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
— Hayley Matthews (@MyNameIs_Hayley)
The India bench applaud a fantastic century from captain ! 🎶👏 👏 👏
— 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 unbe♒lievable knock to become 1st In💟dian women to score t20 hundred 👏👏.I’m sure bowlers can pull things off from here👊
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45)
Great🐲 innings from . This is what we expect fro🧜m the .
All the best to for their game against Banglad🐻esh later tonight.
— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards)
It wasn't exactly a difficult decision 😎
Congratulations 👏— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup)
