Her historic all-round effort, alongside Deepti Sharma's partnership, rescued India from a dramatic mid-innings collapse. (Image: Cricbuzz)
In a performance that will be etched in the annals of the sport, Indian all-rounder Amanjot Kaur scripted a unique piece of history during India's commanding victory against Sri Lanka in their opening fixture of the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup on Tuesday.
The star player didn't just rescue her team from a precarious collapse; she shattered a 37-year-old world record, becoming the first player ever to score a half-century from number eight and take a wicket in the same Women's World Cup match. Her heroic knock of 57 runs from 56 balls, followed by a crucial wicket, was the cornerstone of India's massive win at the Barsapara Stadium.
The match seemed to be following a familiar script for the Women in Blue, cruising at a comfortable 120 for 2. However, there was a spectacular collapse that flipped the game upside down, with four Indian wickets falling in 11 balls. Inoka Ranaweera of Sri Lanka was the mastermind behind this mayhem, taking three wickets in one over while tearing through the middle order.
The hosts' innings was in ruins as they found themselves reeling at 124 for 6. Both the seasoned Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur, who came in at number eight, were responsible for saving the innings.
Facing a crisis, Amanjot Kaur played an innings of immense composure and grit. Together with Deepti Sharma, she formed an incredible 103-run combination that helped lift India out of the hole and carry them to a commanding 269 runs.
Amanjot become a member of an exclusive club with this fifty. She followed her teammate Pooja Vastrakar, who hit 67 against Pakistan in the 2022 Women's World Cup, to become just the second player in the tournament's But Amanjot didn't stop there.
Amanjot Kaur's achievement goes beyond a simple half-century. By walking in at number eight and scoring 57, she officially broke the 37-year-old record for the highest score by a batter arriving at the crease after the fall of the fifth wicket. The previous best was set back in 1988.
Furthermore, her all-round contribution made her the first player in the 52-year history of the tournament to achieve the double of a fifty from number seven or below and a wicket in the same match. She later dismissed Sri Lankan opener Vishmi Gunaratne, finishing with figures of 1 for 36 from her six overs, cementing her status as the true Player of the Match.
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The record-breaking partnership between Amanjot and Deepti provided India with not just runs but also immense psychological momentum. Only two partnerships of 100 runs for seven wickets or less have ever occurred in the history of the competition, and the first was India's (Vastrakar and Sneh Rana in 2022).
Pooja Vastrakar, who came in at number nine and made a crucial cameo of 28 runs off of only 15 balls, continued the lower-order support. A difficult aim was set for Sri Lanka thanks to this late-order blitz. The Indian bowling attack, which included two wickets from Vastrakar, applied constant pressure with the ball, preventing the Sri Lankan chase from gaining
The win, built on the back of an unprecedented individual performance, gives the Indian team a perfect, confidence-boosting start to their World Cup campaign on home soil.
