Jittery India suffers heavy loss to New Zealand in Women's T20 World Cup opener

India’s campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup got off to a disheartening start as they succumbed to a 58-run defeat against New Zealand in their opening match at Dubai. This loss marked New Zealand's biggest victory over India in T20 Internationals and ended their streak of ten consecutive T20I defeats.

Chasing a target of 161 runs, the Indian batting lineup faltered early, losing opener Shafali Verma to a first-ball catch off offspinner Eden Carson. The collapse continued as Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur failed to anchor the innings, with Mandhana caught in the deep off Carson's bowling and Harmanpreet trapped LBW by seamer Rosemary Mair.

Mair’s exceptional performance, which concluded with career-best figures of 4 for 19, dismantled India's middle order. The team struggled to maintain momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals. With their batting lineup reeling at three wickets down within the powerplay, India found it increasingly challenging to recover.

Sophie Devine led New Zealand’s innings, scoring a stellar 57 runs off 36 balls, including seven boundaries. Her crucial partnership with Brooke Halliday, which added 46 runs in just over four overs, set New Zealand up for a competitive total of 160 for 4.

As the asking rate climbed, India struggled to find their rhythm, ultimately bowled out for just 102 runs with one over remaining. The defeat significantly impacted their net run rate, placing them at a disadvantage in the already competitive Group A.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur had previously expressed confidence in her team, referring to them as the best Indian squad in T20 World Cup history.

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