India vs Ireland Highlights, Women’s T20 World Cup 2023: IND W edge IRE W by 5 runs on DLS to qualify for semifinal

After winning the toss, Harmanpreet said, "We are going to bat first. Looks a hard and dry surface. Many of us haven't got that many runs, we need to express ourselves. Devika is playing in place of Radha. It (playing 150 T20I games) means a lot, I got an emotional message from my team-mates. Thanks to BCCI and ICC, we are able to play so many games."

Meanwhile, Ireland captain Delany said, "We have to put in our best performance, need to stick to the process. Think the pressure is on India in this game. The players have shown glimpses of what they are capable of doing at this stage."

India captain Harmanpreet has won the toss, and opted to bat vs Ireland.

Toss is scheduled for 6:00 PM IST! MORE 10 MINUTES TO GO FOLKS!

St. George's Oval is known to be batter-friendly, with something in it for bowlers too. Whoever bats first, will have an advantage, as chasing gets difficult in the latter stage of the game, in this pitch.

Former Aussie cricketer Lisa Sthalekar took to Twitter to gear up for India's upcoming match. Taking to Twitter, she wrote, "Last game for both. Ireland looking for their first win ever #T20WorldCup and India needing to win to make it through the semis. Lots on the line #INDvIRE."

There is no chance of rain, which means we will be seeing the entire match. There will only be a few scattered clouds.

Toss is scheduled for 6:00 PM IST and the match will begin at 6:30 PM IST.

The Indian spinners will need to step up. Until now, only Deepti Sharma has been in good form, and has been among the wickets with five dismissals. Unlike previous campaigns, she has received good support from pacer Renuka.

Renuka has been in good form in South Africa, and bagged her maiden T20I five-wicket haul against England. She will be hoping to build on that momentum today!

Speaking on YouTube, former player Anjum spoke about India's selection for the Ireland game. "The team management and captain have that choice. If I have the choice, I will bring Devika Vaidya in for this game against Ireland. Yes, get Devika Vaidya back in place of Shikha Pandey because you get the leg-spin and batting option, and I feel you will need an additional spinner on the Newlands ground," she said.

"Renuka Singh Thakur bowled a very good spell. It will be a challenge for her as similar conditions might not be there against Ireland. Pooja Vastrakar should get a little more bowling so that she gets her rhythm. It would be better if the left-arm spinners find their rhythm or else Deepti Sharma is seen bowling alone", she further added.

India skipper Harmanpreet hasn't been in the best form in South Africa, and has only been able to register 53 runs in three games. She has also gone missing with the bat in crucual situations, like the one against England.

Speaking on India's defeat vs England, legend Mithali Raj said, "The over that India lost Smriti Mandhana, that point was so crucial because she was building a partnership with Richa Ghosh. Until she was there, there were hopes that India could end up winning this game, but it was a tall ask from the lower-middle order of India to chase down the total."

"England were expensive in the Powerplay, but when it came to the middle overs and the death overs, they were disciplined. They dried up the runs of the opposition, and got those wickets in the last few overs. (Sophie) Ecclestone – the No.1 T20 bowler – she showed why she’s the best in this format, getting Harmanpreet Kaur in her very first over", she further added.

A defeat against England has made India sweat for their semi-final berth. But Pakistan's defeat vs West Indies has given them confidence of qualifying for the semi-finals. A win against Ireland will guarantee qualification. But a defeat could see them miss out, which is if they slip below West Indies on net run rate, or Pakistan cause an upset vs England.

Currently in red-hot form, Richa Ghosh is fourth in the run chart, with 122 runs in three games, and she is also her side's highest scorer. Excellent tournament for the 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter!

Both sides have met only once in T20Is, which was five years ago, and India sealed a win. The match was during the 2018 T20 World Cup in Guyana.

India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Thakur Singh, Devika Vaidya, Harleen Deol, Anjali Sarvani, Yastika Bhatia

Ireland: Amy Hunter, Gaby Lewis, Orla Prendergast, Eimear Richardson, Louise Little, Laura Delany(c), Arlene Kelly, Mary Waldron(w), Leah Paul, Cara Murray, Jane Maguire, Georgina Dempsey, Rachel Delaney, Sophie MacMahon, Shauna Kavanagh

Hello and good afternoon everyone! Welcome to our live coverage of today's Women's T20 World Cup 2023 match between India and Ireland, straight from St. George's Oval in Port Elizabeth. Stay tuned folks, for some exciting cricket!