Harmanpreet Kaur is happy to have unconventional batters like Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh in her team and thinks it has added another dimension to the side.

Richa (44 not out off 32 balls) played a match-winning knock as India Women crushed the West Indies by six wickets on Wednesday.

Speaking about Richa, the captain said: “I think the way Richa batted... that shows us how much strength we have in our batting. Whenever Rishi sir (stand-in coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar) and she (Richa) are speaking, they’re only talking about picking the right ball, because that is very important for her. Earlier, she was in hurry... she’s someone who can always clear the ball. I think that’s why picking the right ball is the key for her.

“And it’s good to see that she’s understanding which is her zone and which ball she can hit and which ball to just take a single. That maturity is something which we are really happy to see.”

India next take on a strong England side on Saturday.

Written with inputs from PTI

Today’s matches

■ Group 1: Bangla Women vs NZ Women, Cape Town 6.30pm IST

■ Group 2: Ireland Women vs WI Women, Cape Town 10.30pm IST

Live on Star Sports

Aussies blow Lanka away

Calcutta: Australia moved clear at the top of Group 1 in the Women’s T20 World Cup with a commanding 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Gqeberha, South Africa. With three wins from three matches, the defending champions have virtually sealed a semi-final spot.

Megan Schutt (4/24) and Grace Harris (2/7) starred with the ball as Australia restricted the Lankans to 112/8 in 20 overs. Then, Alyssa Healy (54 not out) and Beth Mooney (56 not out) made the chase look like a walk in the park as they reached the target in 15.5 overs.

Healy became the player with the most half-centuries at Women’s T20 World Cups (7), moving clear of Stafanie Taylor and Suzie Bates.

Muneeba on fire

On Wednesday, opener Muneeba Ali Siddiqui struck a superb century and Nashra Sundhu picked up four wickets as Pakistan Women crushed Ireland Women by 70 runs at Newlands.

In reply to Pakistan’s 165/5, Ireland were all out for 95 in 16.3 overs.

Muneeba, whose 102 came off just 68 balls and featured 14 boundaries, became the first Pakistani to get a hundred in a Women’s T20I.

She also joined Deandra Dottin, Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur, Heather Knight and Lizelle Lee in the elite club of Women’s T20 World Cup centurions.

Brief scores

⚫ Pakistan Women 165/5 in 20 overs. Ireland Women 95 in 16.3 overs. Pak Women won by 70 runs.

⚫Sri Lanka Women 112/8 in 20 ovs. Australia Women 113/0 in 15.5 overs. Australia Women won by 10 wickets.

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