Veda Krishnamurthy: 5 of her best international innings so far

Some netizens might remember Veda Krishnamurthy for her cool dance moves after her lessons to captain Mithali Raj while sitting at the dugout during last year's Women's 50-over World Cup went viral.

But besides just being known for her wit, Veda Krishnamurthy is also one of the pillars of the Indian women's cricket team, which has won unprecedented laurels over the past couple of years.

An attacking middle-order batsman, Veda Krishnamurthy's importance in the team came to the forefront during ICC Women's World Cup in 2017, when her batting got India out of trouble time and again during the course of the tournament.

Having played cricket from a young age, Krishnamurthy possesses a solid technique that helps her defend and attack with equal ease - an asset the Indian team cherishes, especially in the limited overs formats.

Veda, a double black-belter in Karate from Karnataka, received her formal training in the game from the Karnataka Institute of Cricket at the age of 13 years. Her international career got off to a great start, scoring 51 on her ODI debut against the England Women's team at Derby in June 2011. Since then, her career has seen many crests and troughs.

But big tournaments and tough situations just about manage to bring the best out of her. For a team that was struggling to win matches against big teams, the Indian women's team along with Veda, is now one of the most highly rated sides in Women's International cricket.

In an international career spanning over seven years, she has won India many important matches and would hope to win many more big tournaments.

As Veda Krishnamurthy turns 26 today, let us have a look at some of her most important innings for India in her young international career so far.

34(19) vs New Zealand Women, 3rd T20I at Bengaluru on 15 July 2015

Veda congratulates Harmanpreet and Jhulan, who batted out a few overs to take India's chase deep.

The New Zealand team has been one of the most dominant sides in Women's cricket for a long time now, and their T20I campaign in India was just a testament to that. Having won the first two T20s in a three-match series, New Zealand were looking for a clean sweep with a victory in the third and last match as well.

While India's spinners restricted New Zealand to 126, they lost their top three batsmen with the score at just 50 inside eight overs. Batting alongside another top batsman Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda attacked - and almost took all the burden off the shoulders of Harmanpreet.

Even as Kaur fell on the last ball of the tenth over, Veda continued to attack and registered a quick 27-run partnership with Anuja Patil to take the score past 100.

Veda lost her wicket with just 27 runs needed, but Patil and Jhulan Goswami made sure that the lower order batsmen did not have to do a majority of the scoring, with the team managing a two-wicket victory with one over to spare.

Krishnamurthy scored 34 off just 19 balls with six fours and at a strike rate of almost 180 - giving India a consolation win.

31(27) vs South Africa Women, Final, ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier at Colombo on 21 Feb 2017

Krishnamurthy scored 31 at a strike rate of over 120, before holing out to Chetty off the bowling of Kapp.

Not many people know this, but India and South Africa - who finished among the top four in the World Cup - were struggling to qualify for the tournament in the first place. Finishing on top of their respective groups, as well as the super sixes tables, the two teams - along with Pakistan and Sri Lanka - eventually made it to the World Cup via the Qualifiers.

Though both teams had made it to the main draw, the final was still significant as the teams would be allotted their fixtures accordingly, and gain some confidence going into the World Cup four months later.

Batting first, South Africa handed India a tricky target of 245. Though India got off to a steady start, their run rate was not up to the mark. When Veda came out to bat at number four, India still needed over 100 runs at run-a-ball.

Just four runs after her arrival, India lost their opener and set batsman Mona Meshram, and now Veda and Harmanpreet Kaur had to see India through. While Harmanpreet decided to play the anchor, Veda had to attack yet again.

Veda's blistering knock of 31 runs off just 26 balls dominated the partnership as she scored more than 75% of the runs - leaving India 59 runs at less than run-a-ball with seven wickets in hand.

After Krishnamurthy's departure, Shikha Pandey scored some quick runs - but her wicket set off a mini-collapse as the team lost their next three wickets for just 14 runs. Harmanpreet, who was leading India in that match, instilled confidence in leg-spinner and number ten Poonam Yadav and took the game to the last over.

Even after Poonam got run out, the captain held her nerve, winning the match with two needed off the last ball of the tournament, with non-striker Rajeshwari Gayakwad just getting to the crease before the throw from the deep reached the hands of the bowler Marcia Letsoalo.

70(45) vs New Zealand Women, ICC Women's World Cup at Derby on 15 July 2017

Veda Krishnamurthy scored India's fastest fifty in Women's World Cup history that day.

After getting off to a dream start, the Indian Women were struggling for a place in the semi-finals after straight losses to South Africa and Australia. Veda Krishnamurthy was sitting out during the first few matches, and even she needed time at the crease to hit some form.

India's last round-robin match against New Zealand was a virtual knockout and the team were struggling at 154 for 4 after 36.3 overs after being put in to bat by New Zealand.

Anything less than 250 would have made New Zealand comfortable, and captain Mithali Raj and Veda Krishnamurthy knew it better than anyone else. Krishnamurthy, who had just come in to bat, took charge yet again - letting her captain anchor the innings while she attacked.

Off their partnership of 108 from just 77 balls, Krishnamurthy scored 67 of the runs at a strike rate of over 150. Before getting run out on the penultimate ball of the innings, she scored 70 off just 45 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

She spared none of the bowlers during her rampaging innings and attacked all of a strong bowling lineup comprising of Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Leigh Kasperek, Lea Tahuhu and Hannah Rowe.

A team total of 265 for 7 deflated New Zealand's psychology and one of the tournament's contenders bundled out for just 79, thanks to tight bowling from the seamers and seven wickets to the spinners, including a five-wicket haul by Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

35(34) vs England Women, Final, ICC Women's World Cup at Lord's on 23 July 2017

Veda confessed cursing herself after getting out during what could have been the knock of her life.

On the biggest days of their lives, the Indian Women's team dominated the match for the most part. Playing only their second World Cup final, India were up against tournament favourites England on their home ground and the home of cricket - the Lord's.

The home team won the toss and chose to bat. India's consistent bowling and fielding kept a lid on England - as Katherine Brunt, Natalie Sciver and Sarah Taylor managed to get their team only to 228 for 7 in their 50 overs.

India got off to an inauspicious start as Smrithi Mandhana - who began the tournament with a bang - touched her lowest form in the second half of the tournament, getting out for zero in the final.

Captain Mithali Raj complimented top scorer Poonam Raut quite well before her bat got stuck in the pitch while attempting to slide it in to unsuccessfully avoid a run out with the team score at 43. In-form Harmanpreet Kaur steadied things, as a 95-run partnership saw India within 100 runs from victory.

But after Kaur got out, Veda came in and again took control of things, scoring runs at a brisk rate and dominating the partnership with opener Poonam Raut. Scoring 30 runs amid a run-a-ball partnership with Raut, Veda only needed wickets at the other hand to see the team through. But Anya Shrubsole's spell came like an unprecedented disaster for India.

Trapping Punam in front of the stumps when India needed 38 off 44 with seven wickets in hand, Shrubsole was helped by Hartley who dismissed wicket-keeper batsman Sushmita Verma for a duck in the very next over.

Running out of partners, Veda had no choice but to attack Shrubsole, and she too holed out to a catch from Sciver with just 29 runs needed. What followed was a climax for the ages, and England were the team that held their nerve in the end, winning the match by nine-runs thanks to a six-wicket haul by Shrubsole.

Though England won the match and a fourth World Cup title, India's women won lots of hearts and applause from their countrymen and the government alike. Veda Krishnamurthy's tournament average of over 30 is something she would love to exceed in the next edition, but a fighting, yet unfulfilled knock will certainly motivate her to fight on whenever she is faced with another such situation in her lifetime.

Perhaps the same way the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan were motivated during 2011 after a disappointing 2003 World Cup final.

37*(22) vs South Africa Women, 1st T20I at Potchefstroom on 13 Feb 2018

Krishnamurthy playing a shot during her innings of 37

The Indian Women's team followed up a great run at the World Cup with a satisfying limited-overs tour of South Africa in the following year. Playing their tour along the men's team which was playing in the same part of the World, both the teams made the country proud by winning both the ODI as well as the T20 International tournaments.

After defeating their World Cup Qualifier co-finalists from the previous year in the ODI tournament, the team was certainly not expecting an easy ride during the T20 leg of the tournament.

While Krishnamurthy's unbeaten 51 off just 33 balls in the second ODI was instrumental in the team's ODI series victory, she followed it up with another run-a-ball 54 in the final ODI - which India lost.

India were up against a quite different situation in the first T20 though, having to chase a competitive target of 165 in their 20 overs. The team was always ahead in terms of run rate, but when Veda Krishnamurthy came in to bat at number five, the team still needed 49 off 45.

Krishnamurthy did not waste any time and scored three consecutive boundaries - including a six - off Raisibe Ntozakhe in just her first over at the crease. She followed this up with a four and a six off the over of Marizanne Kapp two overs later, which motivated captain Mithali Raj to attack in the next over.

With three needed of eight, she hit what would be the last ball of the match from Chloe Tryon out of the ground as well. 30 runs off her knock of 37 came in just boundaries - including three fours and three sixes.

Krishnamurthy's quickfire scoring throughout the tournament - batting at an average of 34 and a strike rate of 162 - was instrumental in providing the Indian Women's team with their first T20I series victory in South Africa.