Smriti Mandhana's glorious career best performance powers India into semis

Smriti Mandhana career best powers India into semis

Ind vs Ireland match: Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain) batted with her career - best 87 runs in just 56 balls and India entered in to the Semifinals of the Women’s T20 World Cup with a 5 run win against Ireland in a rain-affected match Gqeberha on 20th February 2023. India are through to yet another semi-final of the T20 World Cup, it is India's third successive one following the one in 2018 and runners-up finish in 2020.

Earlier, India won the toss and opted for bat India got a very good start with the opening duo of Mandhana and Shafali Varma scored 62 runs in first 10 overs. But Shafali once again failed to make a big score, caught by Amy Hunter off the bowling of captain Laura Delany. When all the main bowlers failed to bowl well and captain herself came into the attack and got a breakthrough.

Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana in the middle, played very will with some beautiful strokes. The ball turned out to be difficult on the surface, still they attacked Ireland bowlers very well.

On 14th over of Arlene Kelly could dropped the catch after the batter top-edged a tossed-up delivery from Murray towards the mid-wicket. Mandhana hits a six for the last ball of the same over and brings up her Fifty with classy shot. Ireland came back with the wickets of Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh, but Mandhana still continued and attacked the bowlers and then India reached 150 score.

Everyone expected that Mandhana will score 100 but unfortunately her innings ended at 87 of 56 balls. And finally India ended the innings at 155 / 6.

Ireland team's batting: In the first over Amy hunter got run out by ( Rodrigues / Richa Ghosh) Indian team got the first wicket. In the same over 5th ball Renuka Singh bowled Orla Prendergast and India got 2nd wicket. Ireland 2/2 after the first over. Then Opener Gaby Lewis and Laura Delany batted with ease and Ireland score went to 54. where Ireland need 102 runs in 70 balls and were five runs behind the Duckworth / Lewis par score of 59, India declared as a Match winner.