India delivered a commanding 82-run victory over Sri Lanka, settling the score after their Asia Cup final defeat and knocking their opponents out of the Women’s T20 World Cup. With this win, Sri Lanka join Scotland on the sidelines, both eliminated from the race to the semi-finals. This wasn’t just a win; it was India’s biggest triumph in Women’s T20 World Cup history, eclipsing their previous best, the 79-run margin against Bangladesh in 2014.
After losing to New Zealand in their opening match, India was in a precarious position with one of the worst net run rates (NRR) in the group. Their win over Sri Lanka has helped lift their NRR appreciably, but it remains a crucial factor in determining their fate. With Australia already at the top of the group following a dominant win over New Zealand, India’s final group-stage match will be decisive.
Australia’s Dominance Continues
Australia Women maintained their impressive form in the tournament with a 60-run victory over New Zealand Women in their last game, marking their 13th consecutive win in T20 World Cups.
New Zealand struggled in their response, unable to cope with disciplined Australian bowling. They lost wickets consistently, ending their innings with mere 88. And with it, Australia secured a comprehensive win and solidified their position at the top of Group A with an NRR of +2.524.
With both teams now in form, the India-Australia contest should be a thriller, as it was in the 2023 semi-final where the Aussies edged home by just five runs.
What’s Next for India?
With this dominant win over Sri Lanka, India leapfrogs to second place on the Group A table, with a net run rate of +0.576. However, they have played one more match than Pakistan and New Zealand, so their fate still hangs in the balance. It’s crunch time for India. To secure a semi-final spot, all eyes are now on their final group-stage clash against Australia. A win in that match should all but seal their spot in the knockouts and keep their T20 World Cup dream alive.
What Happens If India Loses to Australia?
As India gears up for their crucial match against Australia, the stakes could not be higher. A loss against Australia would severely jeopardise their chances of reaching the semi-finals. In this scenario, India would need to rely on New Zealand to lose one of their remaining matches and also hope that they do not significantly improve their NRR.
Conversely, if Australia were to lose to both Pakistan and India, they too would have to hope for New Zealand to drop a match and struggle to improve their NRR. Given Australia's strong position and performance thus far, such a scenario appears unlikely.
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