Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur sustained a neck injury during India's match against Pakistan at the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Kaur, who was playing a crucial innings to steer India toward victory, had to retire hurt after scoring 29 off 24 balls. She left the field in tears, raising concerns about her participation in the rest of the tournament, reported NDTV.
Kaur’s injury occurred when India was recovering from a string of lost wickets, with Kaur and Deepti Sharma stabilizing the innings by focusing on rotating the strike rather than going for boundaries. Her departure from the field came just as India was edging closer to victory.
Despite the setback, India managed to pull off a significant six-wicket win over Pakistan. Opener Shafali Verma (32 off 35 balls) played a vital role alongside Kaur, with India chasing down Pakistan's target of 105 runs.
Earlier in the match, Pakistan struggled to build momentum after choosing to bat first. India’s Arundhati Reddy delivered a standout performance, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs, with Shreyanka Patil also contributing with 2 wickets. Pakistan lost early wickets, including Gull Feroza for a duck and Sidra Amin for 8, leaving them reeling at 29/2 after the powerplay. Nida Dar was the top scorer for Pakistan with 28 off 34 balls, but their innings ended at 105/8 in 20 overs.
In India's chase, Fatima Sana led Pakistan’s bowling attack, picking up two crucial wickets, but it wasn't enough to prevent India from reaching the target.
Despite the loss of key players, India crossed the 100-run mark in the 18th over, with Kaur smashing a boundary through extra cover before her injury. S Sajana then stepped in for Kaur, sealing the victory with a boundary to win the match by six wickets.