Delhi Capitals opening batters Meg Lanning (72) and Shafali Verma (84) shared a 162-run partnership (sixth-highest in Women’s T20s) to put together the first-ever 150-run stand in the Women’s Premier League. Playing their first match on the second day of the tournament, Lanning and Verma punished Royal Challengers Bangalore Women’s bowlers to play a pivotal role in putting on board 223/2 in 20 overs.
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Both the right-handed scored hard-hitting individual half-centuries to leave the opposition’s bowlers clueless. Not wasting an opportunity to dominate proceedings on a batting-friendly pitch at the Brabourne Stadium, Lanning and Verma scored as many as 57 runs in the powerplay to reveal their intentions from the word go.
Facing her Australian teammate Megan Schutt in the second over, Lanning hit three boundaries to set the ball rolling in an apt manner. It was on the first ball of the fourth over that Verma attacked Preeti Bose to hit a six down the ground to express first signs of aggression.
Bowled by New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine, the last over of the powerplay witnessed both the batters hitting a couple of boundaries each in a 20-run over. While Verma reached to the 50-run mark off 31 balls right before the halfway mark, Lanning completed a 30-ball half-century in the following over.
In need of wickets, Royal Challengers captain Smriti Mandhana brought pacer Renuka Singh back into the attack. Having only conceded eight runs in her first two overs, even Singh leaked three boundaries against Verma in her third over.
It was in the 15th over when England captain Heather Knight dismissed her Australian counterpart in Lanning to bring an end to an 87-ball stand.
Highest opening partnership in T20 Womens
S. No. | Runs | Batters | Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
1 | 199* | Elysse Perry & Alyssa Healy | Sydney Sixers Women | Melbourne Stars Women | Western Australia Cricket Association Ground | 2019 |
2 | 173* | Caitlin Gurrey & Bernadine Bezuidenhout | Northern Districts Women | Central Districts Women | Lincoln Park | 2019 |
3 | 173 | Sophie Devine & Beth Mooney | Perth Scorchers Woen | Sydney Thunder Women | Aurora Stadium | 2021 |
4 | 165 | Sophie Devine & Beth Mooney | Perth Scorchers Woen | Melbourne Renegades Women | Western Australia Cricket Association Ground | 2021 |
5 | 165 | Grace Harris & Georgia Redmayne | Brisbane Heat Women | Melbourne Renegades Women | Great Barrier Reef Arena | 2022 |
Highest partnership in Womens T20 history
It is worth mentioning that the above mentioned highest opening partnerships are also the highest partnerships for any wicket in the history of Women’s T20s.