ICC Women's World Cup 2022: Harmanpreet Kaur, Mithali Raj make big records

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Hamilton, March 12: India skipper Mithali Raj on Saturday (March 12) broke the record for most matches captained in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.

The Indian, playing her 24th match as the skipper, went past Australian legend Belinda Clark for the most matches captained in the Cricket World Cup.

The 39-year-old had completed 150 ODIs as India captain during the game against New Zealand on Thursday and holds the record for most matches as captain in all ODIs as well.

Mithali won the toss and elected to bat first in the ICC Women's World Cup 2022 match against West Indies at Seddon Park.

India need a win to stay in contention for a semi-final berth, while West Indies are looking to remain unbeaten at the tournament after upset victories over New Zealand and England. Both teams have named unchanged sides for the clash.

Later, Brilliant centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur guided India to a massive score of 317/8 against West Indies.

India opening batter Smriti scored 123 while in-form Harmanpreet smashed 109. It was Harmanpreet’s third 100 in the Women’s World Cup, and most for India too as she went past team-mates Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj, who have a two hundreds each.

The score of 317 is the highest by the Women in Blue in the World Cup, and also the first time they go past the 300-run mark in the mega event.

For West Indies, Anisa Mohammed scalped two wickets while Shakera Selman, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, and Aaliyah Alleyne took one apiece.

Opting to bat first, opener Yastika Bhatia helped India make a fast start in Hamilton. Bhatia smashed 31 off just 21 deliveries before departing. Shakera Selman made the breakthrough in the 7th over.

Indian skipper Mithali Raj (5) holed out shortly after as India were reduced to 58/2 in the 10th over. Deepti Sharma was then removed by experienced Anisa Mohammed in the 14th over.

With Women in Blue looking in trouble, the other Indian opener Smriti Mandhana applied caution as she snitched a crucial partnership with the experienced middle-order batter Harmanpreet Kaur.

India reached 125/3 at the 25-over mark of their innings. In the 33rd over, the duo reached a century of runs between them as they smashed WI bowlers all over the Seddon Park.

The southpaw Indian opener soon got to her second successive ton against West Indies in the World Cup in the 40th over.

Shamilia Connell broke the dangerous-looking partnership between the Indians as she sent centurion Mandhana back to the pavilion in 43rd over. With the Indian opener gone, Harmanpreet upped the ante as she reached her ton in the 47th over.

In the same over Richa Ghosh departed after getting run out. India failed to finish on high as Pooja Vastrakar, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jhulan Goswami were removed in the last three overs of the match.

In the end, India did not get to a bigger total that they appeared to have cruising at one stage but even this total should give them a clear edge over West Indies at this stage.