Sri Lanka Clinches Historic Women’s Asia Cup Title Against India

The Women’s Asia Cup recently concluded with an exciting finale where Sri Lanka outplayed India by eight wickets, marking their first title victory. This tournament displayed some incredible talent that is sure to shine in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup set to take place in Bangladesh this October.

Leading the charge for Sri Lanka was their captain, Chamari Athapaththu, who delivered outstanding performances throughout the tournament. Her highlight came when she smashed a brilliant 114 runs off 69 balls against Malaysia and continued to impress with her scores of 63 in the semi-final against Pakistan and 61 in the final against India.

Athapaththu is currently on fire, being the top run-scorer in women’s T20 internationals for 2024 with 675 runs across 17 matches. With such form, expectations are high as she heads into the T20 World Cup.

On the Indian side, Shafali Verma was a standout player, finishing the tournament as India’s highest run-getter, totaling 200 runs. She had consistent scores throughout the matches, with a stunning 81 off just 48 balls against Nepal. India will be looking to her aggressive style to lead the way in the World Cup.

Deepti Sharma had a remarkable tournament with the ball, emerging as the leading wicket-taker, claiming 10 wickets with an impressive average of 10. She was particularly instrumental in the tournament opener where she took 3/20 and played a crucial role against Nepal with her best figures of 3/13.

For Sri Lanka, Kavisha Dilhari shone brightly, especially in the final where she took critical wickets and contributed valuable runs. Overall, Dilhari ended the tournament with nine wickets, proving her all-round capabilities just when her team needed it the most.

Another player to watch was Bangladesh’s opener Murshida Khatun, who made an impactful comeback with two fifties in her three games. Her innings against Malaysia where she scored 80 runs was vital for her team’s performance, boosting their confidence as they prepare for the World Cup.

On the bowling front, Sadia Iqbal from Pakistan made waves as well, taking eight wickets with an astonishing average of 8.37. Her standout performance against Sri Lanka in the semi-final showcased her talent, although her efforts were not enough to secure a place in the final.