The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah praised Harmanpreet Kaur-led India women's cricket team for their performance in ICC T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final match against defending champions Australia.
For the unversed, Harmanpreet and Co. suffered a 5-run defeat against mighty Australia in a nail-biting thriller on Thursday, February 22, at Newlands Cricket Ground in South Africa. The heart-breaking loss ended India's inspiring run in the tournament.
Jay Shah, on Thursday, took to Twitter and wrote, "A tough loss for @BCCIWomen against Australia in the #ICCWomensT20WorldCup, but we couldn't be prouder of our girls for their spirit on the field. The team gave it their all & showed that they are true warriors. We stand with you, Women in Blue! #INDWvsAUSW."
After being asked to field first, India women's cricket team had conceded 172 runs and lost 3 wickets in the first 4 overs of their innings. Captain Harmanpreet Singh steadied India's sinking ship as she led from the front by scoring a gritty half-century (52 off 34).
Things went downhill for the Blues following Harmanpreet's bizarre run out during a crunch moment in the fixture, which ended her stay at the crease after which the lower-order batters tried hard to chase down the target but eventually, India succumbed to a 5-run defeat against the five-time World champions.
Following the defeat, Harmanpreet was spotted donning sunglasses and when she was asked the reason for the same, she said that she doesn't want India to see her crying.
"I don't want my country to see my crying, hence I am wearing these glasses, I promise, we will improve and won't let out nation down like this again," Harmanpreet said during the post-match presentation.
“The way I got run out, (it) can't be unluckier than that. Putting the effort was important and we were happy to go to the last ball. We wanted to fight till the last ball,” she added.