Indian spinner
Charani reached the 50-wicket mark in just her 29th T20I appearance. This feat places her joint-second on the all-time list for the fastest bowlers to reach the half-century milestone in the format, sharing the position with New Zealand's Leigh Kasperek and West Indies' Anisa Mohammed. China's Mengting Liu currently holds the record, having reached the landmark in 28 matches.
A landmark performance on the big stage
The historic delivery occurred in the sixth over of the Bangladesh innings. Charani dismissed batter Juairiya Ferdous for 14, with wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh securing the catch after the batter attempted an aggressive shot against the spinner. This wicket not only provided a crucial breakthrough for India but also marked the bowler's 50th scalp in international T20 cricket.
Beyond the speed at which she reached the milestone, Charani’s achievement is notable for her age. At 22 years and 37 days, she is the second-youngest Indian to reach 50 T20I wickets, trailing only Radha Yadav, who accomplished the feat at 20 years and 334 days. Globally, among players from full-member nations, Charani ranks fourth on the list of youngest players to reach 50 wickets, behind Sophie Ecclestone, Radha Yadav, and Amelia Kerr.
India sets competitive total in semifinal
The milestone moment complemented a strong team effort as India looked to secure a spot in Sunday's final. Batting first, India posted a total of 149/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite the early loss of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana for two, Shafali Verma anchored the innings with a blistering 64 off 40 balls, featuring seven boundaries and three sixes.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur provided stability with an unbeaten 24 from 28 deliveries, while contributions from Pratika Rawal, who scored 20, and a late cameo from Richa Ghosh, who added 21 off 16 balls, helped bolster the total. Deepti Sharma also chipped in with a quick-fire 13 off just six balls. Reflecting on the pitch conditions during the mid-innings break, Ghosh noted that the surface was slow and offered turn, making it a challenging but manageable track for the batters.
