Poonam Yadav secured three wickets for only 18 runs against Bangladesh on Monday at Perth, where India defeated Bangladesh by 18 runs to register their second consecutive win.
The 28-year-old had starred in the first match against Australia when she sent four Australian batswomen back to the pavilion for merely 19 runs in her four overs spell.
Highlights:
- Poonam Yadav was named the player of the match in the first match of ICC T20 WC against Australia.
- She has 7 wickets to her credit in the two matches of the tournament so far.
- She belongs to Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India and has played 46 ODIs, and 64 T20s for the country.
Her magical spells in both the matches have come despite a broken finger.
"I had hurt myself on the nets. Earlier it didn’t seem serious, but later we found there was a fracture,’ Poonam told the media after the India Australia match.
Poonam Yadav of India celebrates after dismissing Fahima Khatun of Bangladesh during the Women's T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Bangladesh at the Source: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright
For this reason, she could not play in the India-Australia-England tri-series earlier this month.
Though she is in pain, Poonam says she loves her game and is giving her best on the field.
“Yes, it hurts. But, when I am on the field, I forget about everything. I concentrate on my bowling,” said Yadav, who missed a hat-trick in the first match against Australia when a catch was dropped by the wicket-keeper, depriving her of the third wicket.
Poonam was a little disappointed but not disheartened.
“I felt bad, but in the end, we won, and I am happy that my bowling helped my team winning the match.”
All have praised Poonam Yadav for her performance. Former Indian skipper Mithali Raj says Poonam’s brilliance will give India confidence.
In her column for ICCt20 website, Raj wrote, “Poonam Yadav’s spell was the turning point. She’s been one of the main spinners for India for quite some time now, and her style worked again today.”
Ms Yadav is working hard to stay fit so that her injury does not affect her performance.
“I am on a strict diet. I am not allowed to have gluten, and my team-mates and managers are keeping an eye on me. They sometimes take things out of my plate to keep me on my diet,” Poonam chuckles.
Poonam Yadav hails from Agra in Uttar Pradesh. She has played 46 ODIs, and 64 T20s for India and she is eight wickets short of completing 100 wickets in T20.
