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[Saba Sports News] In the decisive fifth T20I at Sylhet, India Women triumphed over Bangladesh Women by 21 runs. India, choosing to bat first, set a robust target of 156/5. The innings began with Shafali Verma contributing 14 runs before she was dismissed by Fariha Trisna. Significant innings from Smriti Mandhana (33) and Dayalan Hemalatha (37) formed the core of the score, with Harmanpreet Kaur adding a valuable 30. Richa Ghosh’s fiery 28 not out from 17 balls provided a late surge. Bangladesh’s bowlers Nahida Akter and Rabeya Khan each took two wickets.
In their chase of 157, Bangladesh could only muster 135/6. Ritu Moni led with a valiant 37 off 33 balls, supported by Rubya Haider’s 20, but the team struggled to capitalize on these starts. Radha Yadav starred with the ball for India, capturing three wickets and effectively containing Bangladesh’s batters. Despite a spirited 28 not out from Shorifa Khatun, Bangladesh was unable to meet the target.
Radha Yadav, who was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series, shared her strategic focus on maintaining a tight line and length. She attributed her recent improvements to rigorous practice and noted the positive influence of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on her and her peers, including players from Bangladesh, remarking, “I just wanted to bowl wicket to wicket. I have been working on it. WPL is helping all the girls. It has helped us and even a few Bangladeshi players,” during her post-match comments.