The year was 2009, and the match was a turning point not just for India but for women's cricket as a whole
Before any male cricketer achieved it, a woman set the record for the first five-wicket haul in a T20 World Cup match. Even more dramatic, it happened during an intense clash between India and Pakistan, one of the fiercest rivalries in cricket. The year was 2009, and the match was a turning point not just for India but for women's cricket as a whole.
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India's Priyanka Roy etched her name in the history books becoming the FIRST bowler to take a fifer in the Women's T20 World Cup. 🔥 #CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/aMQmoq72Z1
Priyanka Roy, a leg-spinner from Kolkata, wasn't a household name like Mithali Raj or Jhulan Goswami. India's tournament began with a loss to England, but Roy rose to prominence in their second match against Pakistan. Roy delivered a spellbinding performance, bagging five wickets for just 16 runs, earning her a place in history and the Player of the Match award, becoming a national cricketing hero overnight. This iconic performance made her the first cricketer to take five wickets in a Women's T20 World Cup, a record she set before Umar Gul achieved the same in men's cricket.
Indian women's team celebrates Priyanka Roy's fifer // Picture Courtesy -- Sportskeeda
Priyanka Roy made her T20I debut in the inaugural ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2009. On June 13, 2009, during the sixth ICC Women's T20 World Cup match at the County Ground in Taunton, India faced off against arch-rivals Pakistan. After Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat, India's bowling attack, spearheaded by Jhulan Goswami and Rumeli Dhar, quickly gained the upper hand. Dhar struck twice early, dismissing Bismah Maroof and Nain Abidi, before getting rid of Sajida Shah, leaving Pakistan in disarray at 27 for 3. Further damage came as Gouher Sultana and India's sharp fielding reduced Pakistan to 42 for 5.
A victorious Priyanka Roy celebrates her latest wicket // Picture Courtesy -- WomensCriczone
With Pakistan reeling, Priyanka Roy came into the attack and delivered a match-winning performance. Roy's disciplined leg-spin tore through Pakistan's lower order, starting with Javeria Khan in the 14th over, followed by Armaan Khan in the same over. She continued her brilliant spell by dismissing Pakistan captain Sana Mir and Qanita Jalil in the 16th over, leaving Pakistan at 55 for 9. Roy sealed her five-wicket haul by taking the final wicket of Batool Fatima, ending Pakistan's innings at 75. Her incredible figures of 5 for 16 made her only the second woman to take a five-for in T20 internationals after New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite.
Chasing a modest target of 76, India faced early hiccups, stumbling to 16 for 3. However, Anjum Chopra's calm 37 off 52 balls, coupled with partnerships with Roy and later Reema Malhotra, guided India to a hard-fought victory. Though Roy's seven-run knock wasn't much, her bowling display was the key to keeping Pakistan at bay, and India crossed the finish line in the 18th over, securing their first win of the tournament.
Roy's five-wicket haul secured a famous win for India and made history as the first Indian to achieve this feat in T20I cricket. Over her T20I career, Roy played 15 matches, claiming 21 wickets at an impressive average of 12.47 and an economy rate of under six runs per over. Her all-round abilities were further demonstrated in ODIs, where she took 17 wickets and scored a career-best unbeaten 69. Though her international career was brief, Roy's record-breaking performance in the 2009 World Cup remains a standout moment in Indian women's cricket.
