Harmanpreet Kaur leads India to seven-wicket win in first T20I against Bangladesh

Harmanpreet Kaur displayed a remarkable captain's innings as she guided India to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first of three T20Is held in Dhaka.

Opting to bowl first, the Indian spinners capitalized on the favorable conditions, restricting Bangladesh to a modest total of 114 for 5.

Chasing the target, Harmanpreet Kaur delivered a masterful performance, scoring a quickfire 54 off just 35 balls. Her innings included six boundaries and two sixes, as she made the most of the two reprieves she received while facing left-arm spinner Nahida. With this knock, Kaur notched up her 11th T20I fifty, propelling India to a comfortable win.

With the victory, India now leads the series 1-0 and will aim to secure the series win in the second T20I scheduled for Tuesday.

Earlier, after being put in to bat, Bangladesh found themselves in trouble at 78 for 4 in the 16th over, lacking substantial contributions from their top-order batsmen. However, Shorna Akter (28) and Ritu Moni (11) managed to add 33 runs for the fifth wicket, pushing the hosts to a total of 114 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs.

Pooja Vastrakar stood out among the Indian bowlers, delivering an impressive spell of 4-1-16-1, including the crucial wicket of opener Shathi Rani with a perfectly pitched fuller ball. Although Bangladesh struck early by dismissing opener Shafali Verma for a duck, India recovered through a solid 70-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana (38 off 34 balls) and Harmanpreet Kaur.

The Indian skipper sealed the victory by hitting a six and a four off the first two balls of the 17th over, bowled by Salma Khatun, capitalizing on the two dropped chances earlier in her innings.