India have progressed to the T20 World Cup semi-finals in South Africa following a rain-interrupted match where they beat Ireland by 5 runs via the DLS system. Ireland showed great resilience while chasing 156, with Gaby Lewis (32*) and captain Laura Delany (17*) batting expertly to keep their hopes alive. Unfortunately for Ireland, the rain arrived while they were still five runs behind the DLS par score. The result favors Harmanpreet Kaur's side, who now move on to face Australia in the next round.
India defeated Ireland by 5 runs via the DLS method in a rain-marred contest to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in South Africa. Chasing 156 for victory, Ireland opener Gaby Lewis (32*) and captain Laura Delany (17*) batted superb to keep their side in the hunt. But Ireland was five runs behind the DLS par score when rain forced an early end to the game. Harmanpreet Kaur-led side had their luck to seal a win and now they will face Australia in the semi-finals.
Choosing to bat first, India began strongly, as the opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma shared a 62-run stand over 9.2 overs. The breakthrough finally came through Ireland's captain, Laura Delany, who dismissed Shafali for 24. Following this, Mandhana and Harmanpreet (13) focused on maintaining a steady scoring rate.
Delany's impact continued as she dismissed the Indian captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, who made history in this game by becoming the first woman to play 150 T20Is. Shortly after, Delany claimed the wicket of Richa Ghosh for a duck. While Jemimah Rodrigues contributed a modest 19, the star of the innings was Mandhana, whose career-best 87 powered India to a solid total of 155/6. Delany finished as the top performer with the ball, taking three wickets, supported by Orla Prendergast's two.
Ireland's response got off to a disastrous start when Amy Hunter was dismissed on the very first delivery. A sharp piece of fielding by Rodrigues allowed Ghosh to complete a quick run-out. The pressure mounted further when Renuka Singh dismissed Prendergast in that same over. Despite the early collapse, Lewis and Delany fought hard to bring Ireland back into the game, but the match was ultimately decided by the weather, which played into India's hands.