Sri Lanka Clinches First Women’s Asia Cup Title by Defeating India

In a thrilling final at Dambulla on Sunday, Sri Lanka claimed their first-ever Women’s Asia Cup title by defeating India by 8 wickets. Harshita Samarawickrama played a crucial role, especially during the death overs, ensuring her team crossed the finish line comfortably.

India set a target of 166 runs, and while players like Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh put on good performances with the bat, fielding errors and bowling inconsistencies ultimately cost them the match.

Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a shaky start with the early loss of Vishmi Gunaratne due to a run out. However, Chamari Athapaththu quickly stabilized the innings, scoring a swift fifty off just 32 balls.

As the match progressed, Harshita Samarawickrama continued to build momentum, reaching her fifty in just 43 balls. By the time Sri Lanka needed 25 runs from 18 balls, the match felt heavily tilted in their favor.

The turning point for India came during Radha Yadav‘s disastrous 18th over, where she conceded 17 runs, making it all the more challenging for her team to fight back. As the innings drew closer to its end, Harshita’s aggressive batting proved instrumental in sealing the victory.

Despite several opportunities, including a dropped catch, India could not capitalize on their chances, which left them to reflect on missed opportunities as Sri Lanka celebrated their historic win.