IND W vs SL W: Team India take Asia cup Final revenge; defeat Sri Lanka by mammoth 82 runs; improve NRR

India achieved its highest margin of victory ever—82 runs—in the Women's T20 World Cup. In a must-win clash against Sri Lanka in Match 12 of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, the Women in Blue rose to the occasion, not only securing the win but also improving their Net Run Rate (NRR) and avenging the loss they faced in the Asia Cup Final 2024.

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After winning the toss, India opted to bat and performed exceptionally well as the top three batters excelled. Smriti Mandhana regained her form, smashing 50 runs off 38 balls, while Shafali Verma contributed 43 runs off 40 balls. Once the two were dismissed back-to-back, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur remained not out, scoring 52 runs off just 27 balls. 

Jemimah Rodrigues added 16 runs off 10 balls, while Richa Ghosh scored 6 runs off 6 balls. Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu and Ama Kanchana were the only bowlers to take two wickets, with one run-out also contributing to the tally.

When it came time to defend, the Indian captain did not take the field, but the Mandhana-led side was right on the money from the first ball. Aside from Kavisha Dilhari (21 runs off 22 balls), Anushka Sanjeewani (20 runs off 22 balls), and Ama Kanchana (19 runs off 22 balls), no other batter managed to reach double digits. The Indian bowlers effectively stifled the Lankan side, preventing them from forming any partnerships. 

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Substitute Radha Yadav excelled in the field, taking impressive catches. Asha Sobhana and Arundhati Reddy each picked up three wickets, while Renuka Thakur Singh took two. Shreyanka Patil and Deepti Sharma also claimed one wicket each, helping India seal the victory.

After a heavy loss to New Zealand and a shaky win against Pakistan, this victory against Sri Lanka was a breath of fresh air, especially with the next game against the formidable Australians on the horizon. Team India will be hoping to secure another win to book their spot in the semi-finals.

Teams:

Sri Lanka Women (Playing XI): Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu(c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani(w), Ama Kanchana, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera

India Women (Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Sajeevan Sajana, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Thakur Singh

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