Women's T20 World Cup 2023, India vs Ireland: 3 player battles to watch out for

With a spot in the semifinals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 up for grabs, India will play their final Group 2 clash against Ireland on Monday, February 20, at St. George's Park in Gqeberha.

The Women in Blue return to the same venue where they went down by 11 runs to England, who have already qualified for the semifinals. After a disappointing display, particularly with the bat, all eyes will be on how the team manages to bounce back.

Ireland, on the other hand, have lost each of their games so far and are out of further contention. They can turn party-poopers, though, and do the likes of West Indies and Pakistan a favor, with an Irish win set to keep the campaigns of the other two teams alive.

On that note, let's look at three player battles that could define this Group 2 clash at the Women's T20 World Cup.

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#1 Renuka Singh vs Gaby Lewis

Renuka Singh has been on fire for India ever since she made her debut in 2022. That form hit a crescendo in the Women's T20 World Cup clash against England, where she bagged her maiden international five-wicket haul.

While her batting colleagues couldn't ensure it would result in a win, Renuka's incredible swing bowling would have caught the attention of the Irish think-tank. To be more specific, their opening batter Gaby Lewis will have to watch out for the inswinger and the slower one that tails back in.

The right-handed Lewis has got off to starts without converting any of them into significant scores for Ireland. She won't have it easy against Renuka but she does possess the skill to tackle this challenge.

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#2 Harmanpreet Kaur vs Cara Murray

The going has been tough for Harmanpreet Kaur, who has mustered 53 runs in 3 innings this Women's T20 World Cup at a strike rate of 88.33. But as they say, these are the times when the tough get going and the Indian captain is a fiesty character who will look to roar back with aplomb.

The latest challenge ahead is in the form of leg-spinner Cara Murray, who has been Ireland's joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far. She will aim to keep Harmanpreet quiet in the middle overs, which has been a phase where India have tended to slow down.

That Harmanpreet and the rest of the Indians wouldn't have seen too much of Murray only complicates this matchup further, while also turning it into an interesting one.

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#3 Deepti Sharma vs Orla Prendergast

The prodigious Orla Prendergast has been Ireland's star in this Women's T20 World Cup. Fresh off a 47-ball 61 against the West Indies, the right-handed No. 3 has accumulated her runs at a strike rate of 131.32 in the competition.

Ensuring that she doesn't tee off the blocks early on is pivotal to India's cause, and off-spinner Deepti Sharma might hold the aces here. Every time the Women in Blue have needed someone to stand up, Deepti has been there to answer her captain's call.

It will be no different when they take the field on Monday either, on what could be a two-paced deck in Gqeberha. An all-rounder who is at her peak against another who is the future - this should be good!

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Will India defeat Ireland and seal their semifinal berth at the Women's T20 World Cup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

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