Women’s T20 World Cup : In the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup, India suffered a 58-run defeat against New Zealand in Dubai last night.

Chasing a target of 161 runs, India struggled and were bowled out for just 102 runs in 19 overs. Rosemary Mair was the standout performer for New Zealand, taking four wickets. Earlier, New Zealand, opting to bat first, set a competitive total of 160 for 4 in their 20 overs. Sophie Devine led the charge with an unbeaten 57 off 36 balls. Renuka Singh was the pick of the bowlers for India, claiming two wickets.

This defeat marks a challenging start for India in their T20 World Cup campaign, while it also broke New Zealand’s 10-match losing streak in T20 Internationals. India finds itself in the “group of death,” facing stiff competition ahead, including a crucial game against defending champions Australia on October 13.

Despite the loss, the road to the semi-finals is still open. India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, has a chance to bounce back, beginning with a highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan tomorrow, followed by a match against Sri Lanka on October 9. To keep their playoff hopes alive, India must win all three of their remaining matches and aim to boost their net run rate with dominant victories.

Today, Australia will take on Sri Lanka in a Group A match at 3:30 PM IST, while England will face Bangladesh in a Group B fixture at 7:30 PM IST. Both games are set to take place in Sharjah.