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On Sunday, July 28, Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets in the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024, to win the coveted trophy for the first time in their history. At the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka batted exceptionally well right throughout their innings, to chase down a tough target of 166 runs with eight balls to spare.
After winning the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India, decided to bat first under the afternoon sun in Dambulla. Shafali Verma didn’t find her rhythm during her short stay at the crease, scoring 16 off 19, but still, she stitched together a 44-run stand for the first wicket with Smriti Mandhana.
The wickets of Uma Chetry and the captain Harmanpreet Kaur fell in quick succession, but Smriti Mandhana kept the Indian innings going in the right direction, scoring 60 off 47 with ten fours. Jemimah Rodrigues took the attack to the Sri Lankan bowlers during the 41-run stand alongside Smriti Mandhana, scoring 29 off 16 with three fours and one maximum.
Richa Ghosh provided the finishing touches to the Indian innings, scoring 30 off just 14 with four fours and one maximum, to propel the team’s score to 165/6 in their allotted overs. Kavisha Dilhari picked up a couple of wickets for the hosts, conceding 36 runs in her four-over spell.
In pursuit of the 166-run target to win the Women’s Asia Cup for the first time, Sri Lanka lost Vishmi Gunaratne for just one after she ran herself out. Following this, the captain Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama shared an 87-run stand for the second wicket, to put Sri Lanka firmly in contention for the title victory.
Deepti Sharma picked up the key wicket of Chamari Athapaththu, castling her after she scored 61 off 43 with nine fours and two maximums, to send some jitters in the Sri Lankan camp. But Harshitha Samarawickrama stayed unbeaten till the end of the innings, scoring 69 off 51 with six fours and two maximums, to help Sri Lanka get across the line for a famous win.
She shared an unbeaten 73-run unbeaten stand for the third wicket with Kavisha Dilhari, to dash the Indian hopes of defending the Women’s Asia Cup title.
