Manchester: India kept its hopes of a semifinal spot alive in the Women's T20 World Cup on Thursday, defeating Bangladesh by five wickets behind a rapid half-century from opening batter Shafali Verma.

Verma anchored the chase for India, striking 53 runs off just 34 deliveries.

After electing to field first, the Indian squad restricted Bangladesh to a total of 136 for 8. The defensive effort came despite India dropping four catches, extending a stretch of poor fielding that has plagued the team throughout the tournament.

Opening batter Juairiya Ferdous led the scoring for Bangladesh with 33 runs, while team captain Nigar Sultana added 32.

Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, returning to the Indian starting lineup, delivered a standout performance by claiming three wickets for 28 runs across her four overs. Her fellow bowlers supported the effort with highly economical spells to keep the target within reach.

India completed the successful run chase in 16.5 overs, finishing at 139 for 5. Medium-pacer Ritu Moni was the top performer for the Bangladesh bowling attack, taking two wickets for 29 runs in her four overs.

Brief Scores

  • Bangladesh: 136/8 in 20 overs (Juairiya Ferdous 33, Nigar Sultana 32; Radha Yadav 3/28)
  • India: 139/5 in 16.5 overs (Shafali Verma 53; Ritu Moni 2/29)

With inputs from PTI