Sri Lanka won the Women’s Asia Cup for the first time, defeating India by eight wickets in the final on Sunday at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
India made the astute choice to bat first, and a strong rapport was rapidly built between Mandhana and Shafali Verma. For India, Mandhana scored 60 off 47 balls while Richa Ghosh scored 30 off 14 balls. Jemimah Rodrigues scored a 29 in addition to them. For Sri Lanka, Kavisha Dilhari got two wickets, while Sachini Nisansala and Chamari Athapaththu each took one.
Sri Lanka, chasing 166, won with eight balls remaining after maintaining unbroken composure and reaching the target in 18.4 overs. They finished at 167/2.
Using an attacking cricket strategy, India has dominated the other team in all three areas this competition. Players who can hit with power, like Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh, have proven themselves, and the middle order has also played well. The upper echelon has been operating at full capacity. As the defending champions destroyed Bangladesh by ten wickets in the semi-final, Smriti Mandhana’s speedy fifty, unbeaten, and Renuka Singh’s three-wicket burst epitomised India’s ruthless performance.
Conversely, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by three wickets in the semi-final match. The event’s highest run scorer, Chamari Athapaththu, has 223 runs. With a well-paced 63 off 48 balls, he nearly single-handedly guided the Lankans to within 141 runs (9×4, 1×6). Anushka Sanjeevani’s fifty and her undefeated twenty-four (22b, 1×4, 1×6) led Lanka to 141 for 7 in 19.5 overs.
India had a strong head-to-head record versus Sri Lanka in Twenty20 Internationals prior to the Asia Cup 2024 finals. Of the 24 matches that India and Sri Lanka have played, India has won 19, Sri Lanka has won 4, and one match has ended in a draw.
With seven wickets, Renuka is ranked third on the rankings, and Deepti Sharma of India has taken the most wickets overall in the event with nine.
But in the last four games, they have had outstanding economy rates (4.37 and 4.31, respectively). It ensured that at the top of the over or in the midst of the over, the opposition batsmen, who often deploy Renuka and Deepti, had minimal breathing room.
Also Read: Harshitha and Athapaththu deliver Sri Lanka’s maiden Asia Cup title
The squad heavily depends on Athapaththu in the batting area because the other hitters for Sri Lanka have all failed to achieve more than 100 runs, with Rushmi Gunarathne following far behind with 91 runs. Aside from the off-spinner Kavisha Dilh, their bowling staff is also suffering from an over-reliance on one bowler.
Here’s how X has reacted to the finals:
SRI LANKA ARE CHAMPIONS OF ASIA…!!!!
– This is for Captain Chamari Athapaththu.
pic.twitter.com/NAGRKsHYL8
— cricket addict’s (@cricket0addicts) July 28, 2024
SRILANKA WOMENS WINS THE ASIA CUP FINAL AGAINST INDIA W.
ABSOLUTE DOMINATION!
— 143! (@Tanzeelified) July 28, 2024
Srilanka Defeated India in Asia Cup Final #SLvIND
— Vijay (@DontKnowBros) July 28, 2024
This is the FIRST ever Women’s T20 Asia Cup match with 150+ by both teams.
165/6 by India
158/2 by Sri Lanka(so far)
And it comes in the final.
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) July 28, 2024
it feels like srilanka women’s team is taking revenge for their men’s..
— Dory || Muskan Divas
(@dreaming_dory) July 28, 2024
th T20I -W half century for Harshitha Samarawickrama !!
What an inning in clutch match !! #CricketTwitter #WomensAsiaCup2024 #Final #SriLanka #ChamariAttapaththu #lka #India #SmritiMandhana #Harshitha pic.twitter.com/0Vgltz7dRg
— TheCricketCorner (@crikworld7) July 28, 2024
What an inning in clutch match !! #CricketTwitter #WomensAsiaCup2024 #Final #SriLanka #ChamariAttapaththu #lka #India #SmritiMandhana #Harshitha pic.twitter.com/0Vgltz7dRg
— TheCricketCorner (@crikworld7) July 28, 2024
This is superb fifty for Harshita Samarawickrama…
What an innings. She is taking Lanka home here. #INDvSL #WomensAsiaCup2024
— Gaurav Nandan Tripathi 🜃 (@Cric_Beyond_Ent) July 28, 2024
Chamari Athapaththu becomes first batter to score 300 runs in a single Women’s T20 Asia Cup edition!
— Statswallah (@Stats_wallah) July 28, 2024
Most runs in a single Women’s T20 Asia Cup edition:
Chamari Athapaththu
Mithali Raj: 220 in 2016
Jemimah Rodrigues— Statswallah (@Stats_wallah) July 28, 2024
Chamari Athapaththu – The one-woman-army
. I still remember her believe-it-or-not hand v Australia in 2017.
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) July 28, 2024
Take a bow, Harshitha Samarawickrama! Clutch innings under pressure!
#AsiaCup2024
— mahesh (@CharterKubiya) July 28, 2024
India 165-6 in the first inning of Asia Cup final
Smriti Mandhana -60(47)
Richa Ghosh -30(14)
Jemimah Rodrigues -29(16) pic.twitter.com/UBjcTTXPzd— CricShyr (@SAWAN_1829) July 28, 2024
Smriti Mandhana’s fine half-century laid the foundation for a strong total against Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup Final
#Freedomexpress #CricketTwitter #cricket #indian #cricketupdate #indiancricket #paris2024 #paris2024olympics#ManuBhakar pic.twitter.com/UwPKT4oSWL
— sport talk (@Aj_Middle_) July 28, 2024
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