Manchester, June 25 (IANS) India’s rising left-arm spinner N. Shree Charani continued her dream run in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, rewriting the record books on Thursday by becoming the highest wicket-taker for India in a single edition of the tournament during the clash against Bangladesh at Old Trafford.

The 21-year-old achieved the milestone in the 20th over of Bangladesh’s innings when she dismissed Shorna Akter to claim her 11th wicket of the tournament, surpassing Poonam Yadav’s previous Indian record of 10 wickets set during the 2020 edition.

The landmark wicket came in the fourth ball of the final over. Shorna advanced down the track looking for a big hit but failed to get the desired elevation, mistiming the ball straight to Renuka Singh at cover-point. The dismissal took Charani past Poonam and made her the most successful Indian bowler in a single Women’s T20 World Cup campaign.

Charani was not done yet. One delivery later, she struck again to claim her 12th wicket of the tournament, extending her record and helping India restrict Bangladesh to 136/8.

The latest achievement adds another chapter to what has been a remarkable World Cup campaign for the young spinner. Earlier this week, Charani climbed to the No.1 position in the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings for the first time in her career, becoming the highest-ranked bowler in women’s T20I cricket.

Her rise to the top of the rankings has been fuelled by a string of match-winning performances in England. Charani entered the Bangladesh match as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker after producing a four-wicket haul against the Netherlands in Leeds and following it up with a three-wicket spell against South Africa in Manchester.

Against Bangladesh, Charani once again delivered when it mattered. After Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana and opener Juairiya Ferdous helped their side recover from an early setback, the left-arm spinner returned in the death overs to halt the scoring rate and finish with two crucial wickets.

Her record-breaking tally now stands at 12 wickets from just four matches, eclipsing the previous Indian benchmarks set by some of the country’s finest spinners. Before Charani’s feat, Poonam Yadav held the national record with 10 wickets in the 2020 tournament, while Diana David had taken nine wickets in the inaugural 2010 edition. Poonam also claimed eight wickets in both the 2014 and 2018 tournaments, with Radha Yadav matching that tally in 2018.

Charani’s exploits have also placed her among the most successful bowlers in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Her tally of 12 wickets is already the joint fourth-highest in a single edition of the tournament.

With India still having matches remaining in the competition, Charani is now within touching distance of the all-time tournament record of 15 wickets held by New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr. Given her current form, the young left-armer has a realistic opportunity not only to extend her Indian record but also to challenge the highest wicket tally ever recorded in a Women’s T20 World Cup campaign.

–IANS

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