(Image source from: thestatesman.com)

India has stepped into the semi finals of the women’s T20 World Cup on Thursday after the team has beat New Zealand with Shefali Verma’s 34- ball 46 followed by a superlative performance from the bowlers had helped the team to win with a four- run over New Zealand.

The team India was invited to bat and it had posted a below- par 133 for eight in the group A match where in Shafali was the top scorer with 34- ball 46 and also Taniya Bhatia at 25- ball 23.

The New Zealand have been restricted to 129 for six by the Indian team while the team India had registered its third consecutive win in the tournament to top the group and had sealed a last- four spot.

This win of the team India over New Zealand had made India top the group A having beaten the teams of Australia and Bangladesh in the last two outing.

Earlier in the game, the rising super star of the Indian women’s cricket team Shafali Verma has scored 46 off 34 runs and has broken the record of the highest strike at the women’s T20 World Cup as she had been successful in scoring 114 runs at a strike rate of 172.72 in the three matches.

Defending a below- par total, the team India has introduced a spin straightaway but 12 runs had been bled by Deepti Sharma with Rachel Priest(21) as the opener hitting her for two boundaries.

Shikha Pandey who is an experienced pacer has removed Rachel Priest in the next over when she had her caught at mid wicket.

Heyley Jensen (11) and Kerr had cracked a four each in the final over but Shikha has held her nerves in the end to ensure the win by India.

Smriti Mandhana who had returned to playing XI after she had missed the previous match due to illness has departed early but the crickets Shafali and Taniya (23) had kept adding to the scoreboard with 51 runs for the second wicket.

Deepti Sharma(8) who is a left- handed batter and Veda Krishnamurthy (6) had brought up the 100 in the 5th over but both of them had departed soon as the team India had slumped to 104 for 6.

The score in the end was at team India with 133 for 8 in 20 overs with Shefali Verma at 46 and Amelia Kerr at 2/21 and the team New Zealand at 129 for six in 20 overs with Amelia Kerr 34 not out and Shikha Pandey 1/21.

By Shrithika Kushangi