GUWAHATI, INDIA – SEPTEMBER 30: Amanjot Kaur of India hits out during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 match between India and Sri Lanka at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on September 30, 2025 in Guwahati, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) Guwahati:Deepti Sharma won the Player of the Match award on Tuesday night for her all-round performance, but pace-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur was not far behind. While Deepti played a steady knock scoring a run-a-ball 53 when India were 124/6 midway through the first innings, Kaur owned the aggressorâ€s role on way to notch her maiden ODI World Cup half-century on 50-over World Cup debut. If Deepti returned 3/54 from her 10 overs, Kaur shared the new ball with rookie Kranti Gaud in pace spearhead Renuka Singhâ€s absence and took 1/37 from 6 overs on Tuesday.She helped the record Guwahati crowd uplift their sombre mood due to Zubeen daâ€s unfortunate and untimely death with her fearless batting. But the Punjabi girl is not someone to be confined within the limits of on-field show. Off the field sheâ€s equally good with the microphone, delivering punchlines at ease, as journalists were in splits during the post-match presser past midnight. “You canâ€t say India was in trouble. I was yet to bat,†she said with a grin when asked about Indiaâ€s situation at 124 for 6, before adding, “You canâ€t come to a conclusion so soon. Fifty overs is a long game, so itâ€s possible that the first 10 overs donâ€t go our way, favouring the other team, but the next 10 overs can go in our favour. We have won Day 1; hopefully we will have eight more good days (till the final).†“It is said that a wounded lion takes a step back only to take a big leap,†she said and burst into laughter, before adding, “You guys will make me famous for my one-liners!â€The talking point was her absence from the Australia ODI series at home earlier this month. “I wanted to be fresh for World Cup. I had a discussion with the coaches and I told them that I donâ€t feel that good in bowling because I donâ€t want to give only 80-90% when I play for India. Either 100% or nothing,†she sounded as straight forward as her batting. Dropped thrice, Amanjot didnâ€t consider it to be her good luck after missing good amount of cricket due to injury. “I felt it was very good that I got that year off. You can take injury as a setback, but in those months, I learnt more than I did in my six-year career. There is no bad luck. If I donâ€t make runs tomorrow, then you will say — how did the good luck end?†the 25-year-old Punjabi added with a broad smile. Asked about her fearless approach, Amanjot said: “If I would have played slowly and got out then you would say I wasted so many balls and didnâ€t get any runs. At least that ball will not be spoilt for the next person. Because ultimately, you have to put up a score to defend.â€
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Deepti, meanwhile, termed her 103-run stand with Amanjot as the turning point of the game. “That partnership with Amanjot was the turning point. We wanted to have a long partnership and we executed it. No pressure at all because I am used to these types of situations. On this type of pitch, I believe in my stock balls, and try to bowl stump to stump. First match always sets the tone and there are a lot of positives from the match,†she said. “I think as a team, there were a lot of good things that happened,†Sri Lanka bowler Inoka Ranaweera said after the match, on claiming 4/46 off nine overs. “If we take bowling, we did bowl first and also in batting, we had a good partnership in batting as well. Thatâ€s something positive when we are moving forward.â€
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