Indian Women's Cricket team defeated the West Indies team by 6 wickets in their second match of the T20 World Cup 2023. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh took the team home with their 73-run stand for the 4th wicket while Deepti Sharma created history by becoming the first Indian to take 100 T20 international wickets. Deepti took 3/15 in the match to restrict the West Indies team to 118. Although it was a good win for India, former India cricketer Gargi Banerjee feels there are lots of things India need to improve if they have to beat better teams further in the tournament.

In our special segment named "T20 World Cup 2023 with Gargi Banerjee", the former Indian cricketer said, "Yes, it is a clean win. But, we need to improve a lot of things to beat better teams." India will face England in their next Group-2 match and India should be at their best to beat them in order to be on top of the group table.

Deepti Sharma creates history | T20 World Cup 2023

Deepti Sharma looked tight in her bowling after a rare "bad match" against Pakistan. The right-arm off-spinner not only took 3 wickets but checked the run flow of the West Indies as well. Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar were also economical in their bowling but lacked control in the middle. Left-arm spinners Radha Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad were not consistent as they went for runs.

A big milestone for Indian spinner Deepti Sharma 🌟

She becomes the first India international to reach the landmark in T20Is.

Follow LIVE 📝: https://t.co/SB27Oahkfj #WIvIND | #T20WorldCup | #TurnItUp pic.twitter.com/B1JyC9RDKp

— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 15, 2023

Even former India captain Mithali Raj addressed the lack of control in India's bowling in the commentary as well. Mithali said Indian bowlers are giving runs in the middle overs and lacking consistency in their bowling which can be an issue going into the tournament. Gargi Banerjee echoed her thoughts.

"You cannot allow the game to drift away from you after a good start. They are lacking control in line and length and it will hurt them when they play better teams. They will not give you opportunities to make a comeback," she told Sportz Point.

"You need to have a proper plan and bowl according to that. Deepti bowled brilliantly but we are expecting more from Rajeshwari and Radha. Even Renuka and Pooja have a few things to improve as well."

Along with bowling, she feels India can do a lot better in fielding. India missed two run outs opportunities and one catch went begging as well. Although Smriti Mandhana ran out Chinelle Henry to save that point for India.

Read Also: WIPL: The inaugural Women's IPL is likely to be held from March 3 to 26

But everything was overlooked when Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma came to bat. Mandhana, who was making a comeback in the team after missing the last fixture against Pakistan, looked positive from the word go. But, she was out stumped for 7 quite early in the chase. Shafali took it from there while Jemimah failed to continue her form from the last match.

"Richa's promotion has been beneficial. She looked matured:" Gargi Banerjee

After Shafali's dismissal (28), it was Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur who took the charge and took the team home. Richa's promotion in the batting order making her play more balls and giving her a chance to settle before she goes bang bang.

"Richa has been very good. If you can guide her throughout the inning, she can play according to the situation of the team. Harman guided her well. I feel Richa's promotion is giving her more balls to play and it is good that she is utilising that opportunity."

Gargi Banerjee

Richa Ghosh remained unbeaten on 44 from 32 balls while Harmanpreet had to deaprt for 33 with the team needing just 3 runs.

With two wins in two games, India is now at number 2 on the points table of Group 2. As they prepare to face England, Gargi Banerjee feels they will have a good chance to win if they execute their skills well.

"I believe along with Australia, India have the most balanced side in this T20 World Cup. So, it just a matter of fact that they need to plan well and execute those plans as per the need of the match," she explained.

Scorecard Summary: IND vs WI | T20 World Cup 2023

West Indies: 118/6 (Deepti Sharma 3/15)
India: 119/4 (Richa Ghosh 44*, Harmanpreet Kaur 33)

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants WPL 2025 Eliminator match in Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium. 

This is Payal Debnath, with all the LIVE Updates for you from the web desk.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians have dominated this rivalry, boasting an unbeaten 6-0 record against Ashleigh Gardner’s Gujarat Giants across three seasons. They will aim to maintain their streak and knock Gujarat out of the tournament. 

While the Giants have shown significant improvement since last season, they must deliver when it matters most to keep their title hopes alive.

So, sit back and relax as we start the live coverage for you. keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.

Gujarat Giants registered a huge 81-run win over UP Warriorz for the second biggest win WPL history to move to No. 2 in the points table in WPL 2025. Beth Mooney equalled the record for second highest score in WPL while Tanuja Kanwar and Kashvee Gautam took three wickets each to give Gujarat Giants a huge NRR boost.

Here is everything you need to know from Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz WPL 2025 Match No. 15 at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

101-run partnership from Deol and Mooney

Deepti Sharma won the toss and decided to field first and chase whatever Gujarat Giants put up on the board. Georgia Voll made ther WPL debut as UP handed here the debut cap. UP's plan worked well early as Chinelle Henry dismissed dangerous Dayalan Hemalatha for 2 in the first over. 

But post that first wicket, Beth Mooney and Harleen Deol put up an 101 run partnership to give Gujarat Giants a solid platform to score big in the first inning.

Harleen played a solid 32-ball 45 runs inning, finding the gap easily. However, as she was closing in a solid fifty, she was cleaned up by Sophie Ecclestone. Harleen tried to give her room, but could not adjust to the pace of Ecclestone.

Mooney missed her ton by a whisker

However, Mooney kept to running hard and post completing her fifty changed her gear. Ashleigh Gardner did not look at her best (11) while Deandra Dottin smacked two boundaries and one six before getting out. 

Mooney though despite playing so well, could not become the first player to score a ton in Women’s Premier League history as she did not get that much of strike in the final few overs. With 17 boundaries, she was unbeaten on 96 from 59 balls as Gujarat Giants scored 186/5 in the first innings.

Horrible start for Gujarat 

During the chase, Gujarat’s batting order fell like a house of cards. Kiran, Navgire and Georgia Voll were sent back to the pavilion in the fast over by Deandra Dottin. 

Young pacer Kashvee Gautam then cleaned up Dinesh Vrinda’s stumps while Deepti Sharma edged one to Mooney off Meghna Singh in the fifth over. At 29/4 after powerplay, Gujarat Giants looked far from the target.

After the strikes from pace bowlers, Gujarat’s spinners continued the momentum. Shweta Sehrawat edged one up while trying to slog Ashleigh Gardner in the eighth over. 

Two overs later, Grace Harris, who was the only UP top-order batter to reach double figure mark, miscued a scoop shot against Tanuja Kanwar. After her dismissal, Giants were at 48/6 and only a miracle could have saved them.

Chinelle Henry tried to do that by hiting a few humongus sixes but she could only hit two of them before getting caught at the deep after 28 from 14 balls.

Sophie Ecclestone added 14 off 10 before they were bundled out for 105. With this win Gujarat Giants now have moved up to No. 2 in the points table. This is the first time this season they have managed to win back-to-back games as well.

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐔𝐉𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 🔥

Gujarat Giants bundled out UP Warriorz 105 to win the clash by 81 runs.

They now have climbed to No.2 position in points table! #UPWarriorz #GujaratGiants #WPL2025 pic.twitter.com/Aov7QOAvYz

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 3, 2025

Chakdaha, a very tiny town in the Nadia district of West Bengal, is known to the cricketing world for a very special player. It is Jhulan Goswami, who made Chakdaha famous with fiery spells all around the globe, wearing the Blue jersey of India. 

When Jhulan was breaking records in women's cricket, another speedster from Chakdaha dreamt of breaking stumps and records too. Sayan Ghosh, known as Bengal's Malinga, saw ups and downs from the start of his cricketing career. But, like his swinging yorkers, Sayan never swayed away from his targets. 

Ghosh last played a Ranji Trophy game way back in 2017. In 6 first-class games, he has two five-wicket hauls. Still, he was never called back to the Ranji Trophy, team until this season. The reason is his incredible comeback into the white ball side for Bengal. 

Sayan Ghosh's incredible season in white-ball format

Sayan was always called the "White Ball" specialist due to his ability to hit yorkers and variations. However, with bowlers like Mukesh Kumar, Ishan Porel and Akash Deep doing well, he found himself out of the side in the last few seasons. But, his will to keep doing well at the club level, helped him make another comeback to the Bengal side. 

This season, Sayan Ghosh was the highest wicket-taker for Bengal in both Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, he returned with 13 wickets from 7 games at an outstanding economy rate of 6.77.

Bengal wins the thriller against Chandigarh and marches forward to the semi finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024.

Former KKR bowler Sayan Ghosh was the star of the show as he picked up 4 wickets and defended 11 runs of the final over that helped Bengal come out on top. pic.twitter.com/ZdOl4soLSt

— KKR ULTRAS (@KKRUltras) December 9, 2024

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the stats were even better as he capped off the season with 15 wickets from 7 games which included a five-wicket haul against Kerala. Post, his outstanding white-ball return, Sayan was included in the Ranji Trophy squad for the final two games of the season. 

Read Also | Bengal Ranji Team in Last Three Seasons: 13 opening combinations, 22 debutants and many more numbers

"Nothing as sweet as a comeback:" Sayan Ghosh

After his remarkable resurgence in domestic cricket, Sportz Point sat with the 32-year-old pacer to sense his thoughts. 

Talking about his return to the Bengal team, Sayan started the conversation by saying, "It is always a pleasure to represent Bengal. And there is nothing as sweet as a comeback when you are down and about to lose. Performing well for the team feels great."

Ex-KKR pacer Sayan Ghosh in action for @Mohun_Bagan

Does his action resemble anyone? #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/mPaLkt1Rr5

— Koushik Biswas (@kbofficial25) November 28, 2023

Impact of Bengal Pro T20 League

Sayan feels, along with doing well for Mohun Bagan in the club format, the Bengal Pro T20 League has helped him be in the best form possible. 

"I must say, performance in BPL gave me confidence," Sayan told Sportz Point.

"I didn’t take too much pressure for the whole season because I knew if I did well, I would play. I had belief in myself. Captain Sudip (Gharami), coaches Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da and Maco (Shib Shankar Paul) da gave confidence. So, I didn’t take a lot of pressure."

 

 

 

 

 

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Focusing on the basics

A few seasons back, Sayan had a longer run-up which caused him a few injuries. But, post the 2022 season, he shortened his run-up to avoid such injuries which helped him gain more control. Keeping this in mind, Sportz Point wanted to know if he had done anything special to prepare for this grand comeback. 

However, as per Sayan, he just kept doing the basic things over and over to get better at everything. "I do lots of fitness work and spot bowling. It helps me a lot," Sayan added while answering the question. 

Read Also | Where Are They Now: Last Time Bengal Men's Cricket Team Won A Trophy

"Trust in GOD"

Regardless of how, for a sportsperson, a comeback is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical battle. Back in 2022, in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point, Sayan shared that "rejections do not deject him." 

But, saying that and actually having that mental strength are two different things altogether. For Sayan, it was all about being present and believing in God. 

"There comes a time in every sportsman's life when they stop worrying about the outcome, trust in God, and fully immerse themselves in the process. So, that was my thinking just to be in the present and wait for my turn," Sayan expressed. 

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

During tough periods like these, players always get some people clapping and cheering for them. For Sayan, along with his family, there were a few people, who guided and supported him throughout the process. 

"Maco da (Shib Shankar Paul) and Kanchan (Maity) da gave me chances in BPL And Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da helped me and gave me a chance to come back in Bengal Cricket." 

"I must say about Akash da, one of my colleagues in my office, who is a very good bowler himself. He supported me in every aspect of my life. I think without his support, I could not have made the come back like that," Sayan stated.

Age? Not a problem

But, in this process of being in and out of the team, Sayan has reached an age where most cricketers start to reach the end of their careers. But, not all. 

Cricketers like Scott Boland have proved that, if you can keep putting in the hard work, even as a fast bowler you can debut and play at the highest level even after 30. Sayan believes that too. 

"Hope keeps us alive. I don’t think a lot about the outcome. But, when you have a goal to achieve something big in your professional career, you always stay motivated," the 32-year-old shared. 

"There is nothing as sweet as a comeback, when you are down and about to lose. If you are thinking about a comeback, you have to keep pushing the boundaries. I have small targets to do well in club cricket and give Mohunbagan trophies. I want to make a strong impact in Bengal Cricket in every format."

Read Also | Exclusive | "Felt like my debut:" Bengal pacer Ishan Porel now wants to enjoy his cricket after a solid comeback to first-class cricket

The love for "Red Cherry"

Now, after a great white-ball return, Sayan Ghosh wants to don the whites for Bengal again. Amidst all the success around white-ball cricket, his love for red-ball cricket remained the same; like a 10-year-old with a new ball in hand. 

"We are playing well in all formats, especially in the Ranji trophy. It was unfortunate for us not to qualify despite playing well in the group stages. The Bihar match and the Kerala match were gone because of the rain and that was the reason (we could not qualify). 

"The last time I played a Ranji Trophy game was in 2017. I have played 6 matches and got two five-wicket hauls. However, because of certain team combinations, I haven't played red-ball cricket in a long time now. 

"My belief is always there to make a strong comeback in red ball cricket."

Delhi Capitals continued the trend of successful chases in WPL 2025 with a seven-wicket victory over UP Warriorz on Wednesday in the final game in Vadodara. Annable Sutherland kept her cool under pressure to stitch a 48-run partnership with Marizanne Kapp to chase down 167 with 1 ball to go. 

UP handed debut cap to Chinelle Henry

With the dew in mind, Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning won the toss and decided to field first. Delhi brought in Niki Prasad, the player of the match from their first match against Mumbai Indians, replacing Radha Yadav.

Meantime, UP handed debut cap to West Indian all-rounder Chinelle Henry in place of Alana King. Saima Thakor was replaced by Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Navgire gave UPW a perfect start

Meg’s decision to bowl first backfired as Kiran Navgire dismantled their opening bowlers with devastating batting.

Kiran Navgire showcased why she is rated so high in this format after a 27-ball 51 as UP scored 66 in the powerplay. But, the situation changed soon as Delhi struck back with three quick wickets to send back Dinesh Vrinda(16), Kiran Navgire (51) and Tahila McGrath (1). 

Annabel Sutherland dismissed the first two while Jess Jonasen removed Tahila McGrath. UP captain Deepti Sharma could only add 7 as she was stumped by Sarah Bryce off Minnu Mani. 

But young Shweta Sehrawat showed patience to build a partnership with Grace Harris first and then alongside Chinelle Henry. 

𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐊𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐍 🔥

Kiran Navgire smashed a 27-ball 51 for UP Warriorz against a strong Delhi Capitals in Women's Premier League tonight.

However, Delhi have struck back with three quick wickets after her dismissal. #WPL2025 #UPWvsDC #UPWarriorz #DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/i8QmVL8Zua

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 19, 2025

Henry impressed on debut

Shweta was dismissed on 37 from 33 balls but debutant Henry hit massive sixes to take UP’s total over 160. Henry even hit Shikha Pandey for 22 in four balls in the 17th over. 

Henry hit 3 boundaries and 3 sixes to score an unbeaten 33 from 15 balls as UP reached 166/7 in the first inning. 

Sutherland with 26/2 was the pick of the bowlers for Delhi. 

Lanning and Shafali with a perfect powerplay for DC

In the second inning, just like UP Warriorz, Delhi also had a devastating start. Openers Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning scored 60 in the powerplay to set up them for an easier chase.

However, it was not all smooth and easy for the Capitals as they struggled to get going after Shafali Verma’s (26) wicket in the sixth over. Jemimah Rodrigues was dismissed on a duck in the next over by Sophie Ecclestone. 

Things started moving slowly for them after that, and Meg Lanning’s dismissal on 69 off 49 balls in the 15th over made things tighter.

Poor fielding costs UP the game

Sophie Ecclestone dropped Annabel Sutherland on 23 in the 16th over and then Deepti Sharma dropped Marizanne Kapp in the 19th over to ease things out for Delhi Capitals.

With 11 needed from the final over, Sadar land, heat, and back-to-back boundaries in the second and third ball of the over to take Capital home with one ball remaining.

Sutherland remained unbeaten on 41 from 35 balls while Marizanne Kapp was undefeated on 29 off 17 balls. With this win, Delhi Capitals moved to 2nd place in the points table.

UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals: Match Summary

𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐡𝐢 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐳!

61 from captain Meg Lanning and a solid unbeaten 41 from Annabel Sutherland help Delhi Capitals return to winning ways in #WPL2025 #UPWvDC #UPWarriorz #DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/bpiUAiayng

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 19, 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered their straight second win of the WPL 2025, as they defeated telecoms by six wickets in Vadodara on Monday. Smriti Mandhana's 81 from 47 and Renuka Singh's three wickets helped them get an easy win to reach the top of the points table. RCB chased down Delhi's 142-run target with 22 balls to go and 8 wickets in hands.

Renuka and Wareham impressed for RCB with the ball

Smriti Mandhana won the toss and decided to bowl first on a wicket that was a little bit damp as per the pitch report. Renuka Singh Thakur, just like the first match, struck early to give moment term to RCB.

The Indian medium pacer dismissed dangerous Shafali Verma on a golden duck. But Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Meg Lanning made sure Delhi Capitals were off to a good start in the first inning. 

Though Lanning was steady and slow, Jemimah looked apart with shots around the ground. She hit two sixes one over the cover and one over square leg to prove her range of shots. However, it was her willingness to hit too many kinds of shots, which was the cause of her dismissal.

Despite scoring at more than 150 strike rate, Jemimah decided to play a reverse sweep and was stumped by Richa Ghosh off Georgia Wareham on 34 off 22. 

It was her wicket that gave the momentum back to RCB as Kim Garth dismissed Meg Lanning with a short ball in the next over. Except for Sarah Bryce’s 23 from 19, no Delhi Capitals batter could get a start and eventually, they were bundled out for 141 in the first inning. 

Renuka Singh won the Purple cap after here 23/3 while Georgia Wareham also took 3 for 24. Kim Garth and Ekta Bisht finished with two wickets each for RCB as well. 

𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐊𝐀 = 𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓𝐒 🔥

Renuka Singh Thakur now holds the Purple Cap of WPL 2025 after her 23/3 against Delhi Capitals.

RCB need 142 to register their second win. #DCvsRCB | #RenukaSingh | #WPL2025 | #DelhiCapitals | #RCB pic.twitter.com/3PYEPdqX6Z

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 17, 2025

Mandhana show during the chase

In the second innings, RCB captain Smirti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge gave the defending champions a solid opening start which enabled them to chase down the total easily. Their powerplay score of 57/0 gave them a solid platform to finish well. 

In a small tournament like the Women’s Premier League, where matches are less, net run rate is something every team wants to have in their kitty. RCB after a great start also wanted to have a higher net run rate against Delhi Capitals. 

Smriti Mandhana completed her first fifty of the season in 27 balls while Danni Wyatt-Hodge kept on supporting her from the other end. Soon, their partnership crossed 100 in just 62 balls to stamp their authority. 

Danni (42 off 33) was dismissed while going for a big shot against Arundhati Reddy but Mandhana kept on striking at her best to ensure RCB managed an easy win.

Delhi could have made a comeback in the match but just like last match Ellyse Perry was dropped on 1 off Jess Jonassen. They finally struck back but it was already too late for them. Shikha Pandey dismissed Mandhana while playing a scoop on 81 from 47, her highest in WPL career. However, only 9 were needed at that time. 

In the end, Richa Ghosh ended the game with a huge six to take RCB to the top of the points table with 22 balls to go in the match. 

DC vs RCB WPL 2025 Match Summary

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐂𝐁 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 🔝

Two out of two wins for the defending champions as Smriti Mandhana's 81 helped RCB beat Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets and 22 balls to go! 🔥#WPL2025 #SmritiMandhana #RCB #DCvsRCB pic.twitter.com/HWs6sT1u8S

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 17, 2025