The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is underway. From thrilling chases to memorable bowling spells, the Women’s T20 World Cup has had enough to satiate every sportsperson’s hunger.
There are a lot of expectations from Women in Blue. After having come close to lifting the most prestigious trophy in the sport twice in the past, Team India will be hoping to end their wait for a maiden World Cup triumph.
The Indian squad for the T20 World Cup ticks all the boxes. From having a blockbuster opening pair of Smriti Mandhana & Shafali Verma to one of the best contenders for the best-emerging talent in Richa Ghosh to having a charismatic skipper in Harmanpreet Kaur, the current squad looks set to achieve the glory. After Australia and England, India is the favourite to lift the trophy.
With the tournament moving towards its knockout stage, we take a look at some of the unforgettable moments from the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Ellyse Perry’s right foot wins Australia the 2010 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final
The 2010 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final saw one of the most thrilling grand finales of a cricket tournament. The Invincible Australian side faced the New Zealanders at Barbados’ Kensington Oval.
Batting first, Australia had a disastrous start, with half the side dismissed for just 50 runs. However, some gritty batting from their lower order helped the team manage 106 runs in their full quota of 20 overs.
Now, defending such a small total would be a monumental task. But the Aussies were up for the task. With some intelligent bowling and excellent fielding, the Australians kept taking regular wickets and kept the run rate in check.
With 14 runs needed off the final over, the Australian skipper Alex Blackwell backed Ellyse Perry to bowl the final over. The first four deliveries went for seven runs leaving the equation as seven additional runs needed in the final two deliveries. The fifth ball went for another two runs, with the New Zealanders needing five runs off the last ball.
Creator: Albert Perez | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2020 Getty Images
Powerful New Zealand batter Sophie Devine was on strike for the last ball and was looking to find a boundary to level the scores. However, Ellyse Perry had other plans. Perry bowled a yorker which Devine hit straight. Perry showed her presence of mind by using her boot to stop the ball and win the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup trophy for her team.
Windies Women’s title-clinching victory against Australia in 2016
The year 2016 was memorable for the West Indies. The Caribbean teams managed to win multiple prestigious tournaments. After clinching the under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, the women’s team went one step ahead and won the Senior Women’s T20 World Cup.
The final, being played at Eden Gardens, saw two powerhouses of cricket go against each other. Batting first, the Australians made 148/5 with half-centuries from Elyse Villani and Meg Lanning.
Creator: Hannah Peters-ICC | Credit: ICC via Getty Images Copyright: 2022 ICC
Although not a huge target, the Australians felt it was a competitive total. The chase began, and Windies women thrashed every plan made by the Australian team. The openers, Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor, put on a show for the Kolkata audience with an opening partnership of 120 runs in just 15 overs. Needing just 28 runs in the last five overs, the Windies lost both their well-settled batters, and it was left to their new batters to take the team home.
With 13 runs needed from the last two overs, Deandra Dottin and Britney Cooper managed to keep calm and win their team’s first ICC trophy.
P.S. Also, on that day, the men’s team defeated England to defend their ICC T20 World Cup trophy.
Heather Knight’s iconic innings in the 2020 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup
England skipper Heather Knight showed her class at the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. During their group-stage match against Thailand, the cricketer scored an unbeaten 108* from just 66 deliveries, and her efforts ensured England cruised home to victory at Manuka Oval in Canberra. The batter had 13 boundaries, and four strikes crossed the boundary line.
Creator: Ashley Allen – ECB | Credit: ECB via Getty Images Copyright: 2021 ECB
With the century, the batter became the first woman to smash a ton in all three formats.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s blistering ton at the 2018 T20 World Cup vs New Zealand
Current Team India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur lit up the opening game of the 2018 T20 World Cup. The right-handed batter smashed 103 runs off 51 balls with eight maximums and seven boundaries.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s swashbuckling innings helped the team post 194/5 in the first innings. In the second innings, the Indian bowlers bowled intelligently to restrict the opposition to 160/9 in their full quota of 20 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s stroke-filled innings was the highlight of India’s innings. Incidentally, it was the first century by an Indian woman in T20Is.
Relive the historic ton by the Indian batter.
Poonam Yadav spins her magic to take India to victory against Australia
Team India’s magician leg-spinner Poonam Yadav spun her web to dismantle the Australian batting order. After scraping together what looked like a below-par total of 132, the leg spin of Poonam Yadav caused chaos at the Showground Stadium.
Creator: Daniel Pockett-ICC | Credit: ICC via Getty Images Copyright: 2020 ICC
The wrist-spinner took four wickets for 19 runs and won the game single-handedly for the Women in Blue.
Those were some of the unforgettable moments from the Women’s T20 World Cup. Which one among the lot is the favourite?
