Women's World Cup: India beat Sri Lanka in tournament opener
What's the story
Team India has kick-started its 2025 ICC Women's World Cup campaign with a thumping 59-run win over co-hosts Sri Lanka in Guwahati (DLS method). The rain-curtailed affair saw India post 269/8 in their allotted 47 overs while batting first. Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma rescued the team with fifties. A middle-order collapse meant SL were all out for 211. Here are the key stats.
India innings
Amanjot, Deepti power Indian innings
Batting first, India were well placed at 81/1 at one stage thanks to Pratika Rawal (37) and Harleen Deol (48). However, left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera's magical spell reduced the hosts to 124/6. Then arrived Amanjot in the middle to join Deepti. Both batters operated with great intent as India finished at 269-8 in their allotted 47 overs.
Amanjot
Amanjot joins Vastrakar with maiden fifty
Amanjot, whose 57 from 56 balls was laced with five fours and a maximum, became just the second Indian to register a 50-plus score from No.8 or lower in WODIs. She joined Pooja Vastrakar, who has four such scores. Meanwhile, this was Amanjot's maiden fifty in the format as the all-rounder now owns 155 runs at 19.37. She later claimed 1/37 from six overs.
Deepti
16th fifty in WODIs for Deepti
Deepti made a run-a-ball 53 with the help of three fours. With this, Deepti has now raced to 2,577 WODI runs at 37.89. This was her 16th WODI fifty as she also boasts a hundred. 341 of her runs have come against SL at 42.62 (50s: 3). This was also her third WC fifty.
Information
Sensational run in 2025
Meanwhile, Deepti is enjoying a dream year with the bat in 2025. Having played 15 WODIs this year, she has raced to 434 runs at an excellent average of 72.33. The one against SL was her fourth fifty.
Record
Deepti, Amanjot register this feat
As per ESPNcricinfo, Deepti and Amanjot forged the second-highest seventh-wicket partnership in Women's WC history. The duo, which added 103 runs, is only behind their compatriots Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar. They had put together a 122-run stand against Pakistan in the 2022 edition of the tournament. Meanwhile, no other Indian pair has a 100-plus stand for the seventh wicket or lower in WODIs.
Indian batters
These Indian batters also contributed well
Opener Pratika made a fine 37 off 59 balls (three fours, 1 six). She had added 67 runs with Harleen, who missed out on her fifth WODI fifty. Harleen made 48 off 64 balls (six fours). Sneh Rana remained unbeaten at an explosive 28 off just 15 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes). The spinner later claimed figures of 2/32 from 10 overs.
Ranaweera
Inoka Ranaweera claims four-fer
Ranaweera, who took three wickets in an over, finished her sensational spell with 4/46 from nine overs. This was her third four-fer in WODIs as her best figures read 4/39. She has now raced to 84 WODI wickets at 32.84 (ER: 4.55). This was her second four-fer against India. In WODI WCs, Ranaweera now boasts 13 wickets from 12 games at 30.15.
SL innings
SL were tormented by Indian spinners
Chasing a revised target of 271 in 47 overs, SL were well placed at 82/1 before suffering a collapse. Spinners Rana (2/32), Deepti (3/54), and Shree Charani (2/37) were sensational in the middle overs as there was no half-centurion in the SL innings. Owing to the same, the team was folded for 211 in 45.4 overs.
SL batters
These SL batters threw away their starts
SL skipper Athapaththu looked in nice flow as she smoked four boundaries and three sixes during his 47-ball 43-run knock. Her dismissal ignited a massive collapse. Athapaththu had added 52 runs with Harshitha Samarawickrama, who also threw away her start. She made 29 off 45 balls (3 fours). Batting at number six, Nilakshi de Silva scored a fiery 29-ball 35 (4 fours, 1 six).
Deepti
Deepti gets to this feat
Having scalped 3/54 from 10 overs, Deepti was the pick of the Indian bowlers. With her second wicket, the spinner went past Neetu David to become India's second-highest wicket-taker in WODI cricket. She is now only behind Jhulan Goswami (255). The 28-year-old has raced to 143 WODI wickets at 28.19. Her economy rate is 4.29. Her tally includes 2 four-wicket hauls and 3 fifers.