A spectacular 49-ball century from captain Harmanpreet Kaur, followed by a wicket-laden display from the spinners, took India to a 34-run win against New Zealand in the opening game of the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 in Guyana.
Kaur’s record-breaking hundred – first by an India in women’s T20Is – set India on their way in the tournament opener, as her team finished at 194/5, the highest total in Women’s World T20 history.
The Indian total proved a little to𒁏o much for New Zealand, who ended on 160/9 despite a 50-ball 67 from former skipper Suzie Bates at the top of the order.
Earlier, the 29-year-old Harmanpreet smashed 103 off just 51 balls, with the help of seven fours and eight sixes. Along with the Indian skipper, 18-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues played with a maturity above her years as she became the youngest player to score a fifty at the Women’s World T20, in what was her maiden appearance at the ICC event.
Jemimah and Harmanpreet added a 134-run partnership for the fourth-wicket, India’s highest for any wicket in all T20Is.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
What performance by Indian꧃ Team and a special knock by 💯🎉 Great Start to . Keep Going 💪
— IamKedar (@JadhavKedar)
Fantastic start to the tournament for our girls. Brilliant innings from Harmanpreet Kaur and will be d༒elighted with this great start to the Wimen’s
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif)
Congratulations skipper and whol🐬e team for win the first t20 World Cup match against NZ 🇮🇳⭐️👏👏👏😊
— Rahul Sharma (@ImRahulSharma3)
What a brilliant start to the . This is a big win for India's women cricketers. Just the kind of game to draw more girls in.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)
It was a clinicalꦑ allround show. Aggressive show of combined with an amazing footwork of stolen the early show. It was followed by brave spin bowling effort𝐆 from that nailed in opener by 35 runs.
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8)
UNSTOPPABLE 💥💫🏆
— Sushma Verma (@ImSushVerma)
A captain's knock from . First 💯 for India in T20Is & that too at the biggest stage. Well played! 👌
— Jhulan Goswami (@JhulanG10)
Harmanpreet Kaur , wonderful hundred. Great bat swing in a 𒈔really zordaar innings
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)
Whatever BCCI are paying Harmanpreet Kaur, the ICC s💯hould pay twenty times that. She’s slapping women’s cricket into people’s houses.
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber)
Mind. Blown. Six months ago Harmanpreet was struggling for conꦗsistency. Now, in what could be a virtual quarter-final, she turns it on like thi🐎s. What a player.
— Snehal Pradhan (@SnehalPradhan)
Jemimah Rodrigues 18y-65d now fifth youngest to register a fifty in women's 👏👍👌 and by far the youngest Indian to do so!
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman)
Already a fan of the use of feet from young Jemimah Rodrigues…all the good things we heard about her are not misplaced one bit. More power to you.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
Fifty on World Twenty20 debut for I꧂ndia:🦹 (Men/Women)
Virat Kohli (50 v AFG, 2012)
JEMIMAH RODRIGUES (59 v NZ, 2018)— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats)
That's Harmanpreet Kaur for you.
— betvisa69.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
Well done Harmanpreet!! Well played👏👏👏
— merissa aguilleira (@mraguilleira)
Wow! 💯 not a bad way to start the World T20
— Alex Blackwell (@AlexBlackwell2)
3 from 15 💫to 103 from 51! 😳 maiden T20 💯 was all class and has set tꦓhe tone for the . 👊🏽👏🏽💪🏽
— Mel Jones (@meljones_33)
Wow! lighting up the tournament first🐟 game �🍸� 🔥🔥
— Isa Guha (@isaguha)
She’s Harmanpreet Kaur 💛of Indian Women’s Teaꦐm. 😊🙌
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
Well played Kaur 👏🏽 Amazing innings and great start to the 👌🏽💎👌🏽👌🏽
— Hayley Matthews (@MyNameIs_Hayley)
The India bench applaud a fantastic c♒entury from captain ! 👏 👏 👏
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup)
What a magnificent 💯 by 🔥
👌— Kainat Imtiaz (@kainatimtiaz16)
What a start to women’s t20 cricket World Cup.Brilliant batting by to♌ keep things calm in the middle & supporting who played an unbelievable knock to become 1st Indian women to score t20 hundred 👏👏.I’m🥀 sure bowlers can pull things off from here👊
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45)
Great innings from . This is what we𝐆 expect from the .
All the best to for their game ag👍ainst Bangladesh later tonight.
— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards)
It wasn't exactly a difficult decision 😎
Congratulations 👏— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup)
