'Showed That Belief...': NZ Skipper Sophie Devine On How Beating India Set Up Their T20 WC Campaign

New Zealand Women won by 32 runs in the exciting ICC Women's World T20 final against South Africa Women. With player of the match Amelia Kerr playing a vital part with a quickfire 43 off 38 balls, New Zealand put up a competitive overall score of 158/5 in their 20 overs. South Africa responded with just 126/9 because Kerr also shone with the ball, collecting 3 wickets for 24 runs. Her all-around excellence rightly earned her the Player of the Tournament trophy. The eagerly awaited event happened at the Dubai International Stadium.

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NZ Skipper Sophie Devine On How Beating India Set Up Their T20 World Cup Campaign

With their outstanding 58-run triumph against India launching their campaign in the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup , New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine underlined the importance of their win. With their victory in Dubai, an 11-match losing run came to an end and the White Ferns entered the semi-finals, where they finally defeated South Africa on October 20.

New Zealand was seen as underdogs before the event, up against a tough group with powerhouses like Australia and India. Early in their game against Harmanpreet Kaur's team, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer seized advantage from India's poor bowling and fielding.

Devine also made a major contribution, netting an undefeated fifty to enable New Zealand to score 160-4 overall. They maintained their supremacy with the ball, quickly destroying the Indian batting order. Rosemary Mair and Lea Tahuhu teamed for seven wickets, therefore limiting India to only 102 runs. During the post-match press conference, Sophie Devine said (according to Sportskeeda): 

"It's really hard to pinpoint one moment or one game. Probably most recently is that India game though. I think that was probably the most complete performance we've had since the World Cup in South Africa and everything did come together and, as I said, it showed that belief and confidence in this group and to put it together and to know that we could do it," 

"I think was a massive moment for us and helped us on our journey to being here tonight with this in front of us. So hard to pinpoint because there's so much that goes into it. I mean everyone thinks about the games but it's the work that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don't see. But yeah, I think if you're talking about performances, that India one probably set the tone for us," 

The fourth country claiming success in the Women's T20 World Cup is New Zealand, which has joined Australia, England, and the West Indies. Devine maintained a strike rate of 107.54 and ended the competition with 117 runs over six innings. With 135 runs and 15 wickets taken across the season, all-rounder Amelia Kerr won Player of the Tournament. England in 2026 will host the Women's T20 World Cup once again.