Indian fans rejoice over big win against Sri Lanka, look ahead to clash with Australia

By K.R. Nayar
From Dubai International Stadium

It was delightful to witness Indian fans rejoice with joy as their women’s team secured a big win over Sri Lanka on October 9. While in Mumbai, I noticed all newspapers prominently celebrated the victory, praising openers Shafali Verma (43) and Smriti Mandhana (50), as well as skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 52. I could sense the high expectations among Indian fans, who are eager to see their team lift the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup.

 

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur leads from the front 

Now, all eyes are on the India-Australia match on October 13 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, scheduled to start at 6 PM. India’s loss to New Zealand on October 4 has added significant pressure to this match. In the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup format, one defeat can dramatically impact the stakes. As it stands, every upcoming match carries immense importance. Only the teams that avoid further losses will progress to the next stage.

 

Hindustan Times's display on India's win 

Interestingly, defeating Australia alone won’t guarantee India’s qualification. Despite New Zealand slipping to the fourth spot, they still have matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. If they win those matches convincingly, they will remain strong contenders for the next stage. This is why teams must ensure they don’t lose, for them to secure their spot in the semifinals.

 

Shafali Verma address the media 

After the Sri Lanka match, Shafali Verma made an insightful comment about the Net Run Rate (NRR), noting that no one needs reminding of its significance. She said, “I think it's not something to be told. We all know that NRR is important, and we play with that in mind. If you're playing for the Indian team, you don’t need to be told you're behind on NRR. Everyone is mature and aware of the situation. So, it's not something that needs to be said, but of course, we keep the NRR in mind and focus on it.”


Mid-Day newspaper report on the India's win

India has three days off after the Sri Lanka match before facing Australia, and Shafali emphasized their focus on winning. “For Sharjah, we will have three days off. We will work on our process and focus on what we can do to build confidence. Hopefully, if we give 100% individually, we will win.”

 

The Times of India's lead report on India's win 

This commitment to giving 100% is exactly what Indian fans expect from their women cricketers. Everyone will be closely watching New Zealand and Pakistan’s remaining matches, knowing that the easiest path for India to reach the semifinals is to beat Australia and hope New Zealand and Pakistan falter. If India beats Australia, there could be a three-way, with all teams at the same points.

 

The Hindu newspaper's report on India's creditable win 

After the win over Sri Lanka, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said, “When you play good cricket, you always feel good. We need to play good cricket against Australia.”


Indian Express report on India's win with a catchy headline

Playing their best cricket is what Indian fans want to see. The lesson on not playing at their best against New Zealand will be a reminder. For the nation to rejoice once again, the team must deliver victories. A maiden World Cup win from their maidens is what everyone is eagerly looking forward to.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UAE’s richest domestic cricket tournament launched through a 100-ball format in Sharjah

Image
By K.R. Nayar Petromann Sports Management is known to stage cricket events with a unique twist. The mastermind behind these innovations is Abdul Latif Khan, Founder of Petromann Sports Management. He brought tennis ball cricket to the international level through the 10PL, offering the richest prize money in this format. Now, he is set to launch Elite Corporate Cricket Bash (ECCB), a unique 100-ball format, which is likely to become one of the UAE's richest domestic tournaments, with a prize of Dh 1.3 million, at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Mazhar Khan and Dav Whatmore release the event jersey as Abdul Latif Khan and Nasir Akram look on  This ten-day tournament will feature 12 corporate teams. Petromann Sports Management, in collaboration with the Sharjah Cricket Council and Emirates Cricket Board, has created this platform to discover emerging UAE talent. The tournament, expected to revolutionize the UAE's domestic cricket scene, will reach an audience of 300 mill
Read more

Remembering the first girl to play cricket in the UAE as the country hosts its first Women’s World Cup

Image
By K.R. Nayar The UAE is set to host the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 starting on October 3. There was a time when girls in this country hardly considered playing cricket. Instead, they preferred sports like badminton, tennis, and basketball, and rarely, if ever, held a cricket bat. It was during this period that a 10-year-old girl, Natasha Michael Cherriath, walked onto a cricket field with a bat in hand.   Natasha Michael showed the way for other women cricketers in the UAE Natasha had no other girls to play with, and the boys curiously observed her as she joined a game typically played only by them.   Every movement requires a pioneer, and Natasha was the one who started it all for girls' cricket here. While she learned the basics of the game from her father, Michael, he took her to renowned coach Shehzad Altaf, who had represented the UAE in the 1996 World Cup. Although Altaf initially told her that cricket was a sport for boys, Natasha was determined to learn. It didn’t take
Read more

A 25kg cricket book and Ashwin’s 100th Test match ball at Shyam Bhatia’s museum

Image
By K.R. Nayar Cricket never ceases to excite. Like life, cricket is a game of various uncertainties. If you thought that only cricket matches will surprise you, then you are in for a correction. A cricket book too can   literally stun you. And mind you, this impact is even before start reading it.    I experienced it at the Shyam Bhatia Cricket museum – a cricket book weighing 25kg. In fact, the total weight is 32kg, including the 7kg book case. This is the latest addition to the Shyam Bhatia cricket museum that is filled with not only cricket memorabilia but also takes you through the history of the game through its exhibits.   Shyam Bhatia with his latest addition to his museum - the 25kg book on 1983 World Cup  If that was not enough to get a cricket enthusiast thrilled, there was more. The cricket ball with which Ravichandran Ashwin played his 100th Test match during the Dharmasala Test match against England is also here. Bhatia had recently gone    to Dharmasala to not only
Read more