New Delhi: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her joy after India registered a commanding 88-run win over Pakistan in the Women’s World Cup clash in Colombo on Sunday. The emphatic victory marked India’s second consecutive win in the tournament and extended their unbeaten record against Pakistan to 12-0, reaffirming their dominance in the rivalry.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet’s subtle yet heartfelt message resonated deeply with fans.
“Very happy, very important game for all of us, and I’m sure everyone back home is happy as well,” she said, acknowledging the emotional significance of the win amid the long-standing rivalry between the two nations.
India’s innings was built on valuable contributions from the middle order after a shaky start. Harleen Deol (46), Jemimah Rodrigues (32), and Pratika Rawal (31) steadied the innings before Richa Ghosh’s explosive 35* off just 20 balls powered India to a competitive 247.
With the ball, 22-year-old pacer Kranti Gaud delivered a stunning performance, earning the Player of the Match award for her spell of 3/20. Her early breakthroughs, including key wickets of Sadaf Shamas and Aliya Riyaz, put Pakistan on the back foot right from the start.
Reflecting on the match, Harmanpreet said, “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on. We just wanted to stay at the crease and build partnerships. The rain over the last couple of days made the surface a bit tricky, so the focus was on keeping wickets in hand to execute our plans later.”
Despite the comprehensive victory, India’s fielding performance left much to be desired. Richa Ghosh, who shone with the bat, struggled behind the stumps, dropping four catches and making a few errors in judgment. A few misfields also gifted Pakistan easy runs.
Harmanpreet acknowledged the lapses, stressing the need for improvement before the next matches against South Africa and Australia.
“We let ourselves down on the field with dropped chances, but a win always feels good. There are areas we must work on, especially our fielding. We’ll look to build on this momentum when we return home and prepare for the upcoming games,” she said.
With two wins in two games, India will now aim to carry their strong form forward as the tournament heats up.
