India beats Bangladesh to keep semifinal hopes alive

India strengthened its bid for a Women's T20 World Cup semifinal spot with a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday, June 25. The win sets up a decisive final group match against Australia this Sunday.

Chasing a target of 137, India reached 138 for five in 16.3 overs, led by opener Shafali Verma's aggressive 53 from 34 balls. The bowling effort was anchored by spinners Radha Yadav, who took three wickets for 28 runs, and Shree Charani, who claimed two for 21. Charani's performance was historic, as she became India's highest wicket-taker in a single edition of the Women's T20 World Cup, surpassing the previous record of 10 wickets. Her tournament tally now stands at 12.

Despite the comfortable win, captain Harmanpreet Kaur identified fielding as a persistent concern, noting several dropped catches during Bangladesh's innings. She expressed confidence the team would deliver its best cricket in the crucial upcoming fixture.

The result leaves India second in Group A with six points from four matches, tied with South Africa but ahead on net run rate. Australia leads the group with eight points. India's path to the semifinals is straightforward: a...