Shafali Verma’s belligerent 64 set the tone before Deepti Sharma’s record-breaking three-wicket burst without conceding a run powered India to a thumping 94-run win over Thailand in their Women’s T20 Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Sunday.
The flamboyant opener smashed eight fours and three sixes in her 36-ball knock before Thailand’s spinners, led by Suleeporn Laomi’s three-wicket haul, triggered an inexplicable Indian collapse to restrict the seven-time champions to 159/9.
But the total proved more than enough as Thailand folded for 65 in 16.1 overs, with Deepti, playing in her landmark 150th T20I, claiming three wickets in seven balls without conceding a run to take her tally to 171 wickets, becoming the outright leading wicket-taker in Women’s
T20I cricket.
The 29-year-old veteran allrounder, who became the only the third Indian after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana to reach the 150 T20I landmark, had earlier drawn level with Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong at 170 wickets after taking two wickets in the ninth over to leave Thailand reeling at 44/6.
She returned in the 17th over and struck with her very first delivery to dismiss wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai, who had offered Thailand some resistance with a 41-run knock to complete a sensational spell.
Seamers Kranti Goud (1/26) and Nandani Sharma (3/18) removed both Thailand openers inside four overs before left-arm spinner Shree Charani (2/10) and Deepti strangled the chase.
Charani struck twice in successive overs before Deepti produced a double-wicket maiden to virtually end Thailand’s hopes, reducing them to 44/6 inside nine overs.
India, despite their late collapse with the bat, completed a comprehensive victory to begin their Asia Cup campaign in emphatic fashion from Group A.
India next face Hong Kong on Thursday.
For Thailand, this was their first loss after two matches, having begun their campaign with six-run win over Hong Kong on Friday.
(With inputs from PTI)
