Stay updated on all the new developments surrounding Sri Lanka’s historic win in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup here in Dambulla. Get all the details of the pulsating final and that historic win here.
Introduction:
Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket team made history on Sunday when they won their inaugural Women’s T20 Asia Cup title, defeating India in the final played at Dambulla by eight wickets. This win was quite easy, and brilliant efforts were put in by Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Kavisha Dilhari.
Athapaththu and Samarawickrama: Dynamic Pair
The chase of Sri Lanka was guided by the opening partnership that Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama stitched together. Athapaththu, known for her explosive style, thus launched an attack on the India left-arm spinners, getting 29 of her 61 against them. The boundaries came easily as she took 16 runs off Tanuja Kanwar’s over to set up the chase.
See also: Electrifying Win of Sri Lanka Against Pakistan: WAC 2024
Samarawickrama, who often batted second fiddle to her captain, produced her best T20I performance with an unbeaten 69. Her studied innings was marked by judicious shot selection—which included powerful pull shots and slog sweeps—to stay till the end and usher Sri Lanka home.
Dilhari’s All-Round Brilliance
Kavisha Dilhari played an important role with both the bat and ball. Her parsimonious bowling returns of 2-36, along with a couple of crucial wickets, kept India in check. Then, her whirlwind knock of 30 off 16 balls—ending the match with a six—showcased her ability as a proven strong bottom-handed batter. The partnership between Dilhari and Samarawickrama added an unbeaten 73 runs, guiding Sri Lanka to their target with an over to spare.
Indian Innings: Mandhana’s Lone Battle
The performance of Smriti Mandhana played a key role in India’s innings. Although Sri Lankan bowlers dominated the beginning, Mandhana counter-attacked in the final over of the powerplay. It actually took India to 44 for 0. The attack and intelligent placement took her to her 26th T20I fifty, off 36 balls. However, Mandhana’s efforts were inadequate as India misfielded and made tactical errors.
Moments and Turning Points that mattered
Athapaththu vs Left-Arm Spin: The fifth over, where Athapaththu took on the inexperienced Tanuja Kanwar for 16 runs off her over, really turned the game on its head. Inevitably, all of this carried right into this very attacking game that Athapaththu held up against left-arm spin, given the fact that she scored 29 at a strike rate of 170.58 against that sort of bowling.
Samarawickrama Steps Up
The Samarawickrama knock was crucial after the fall of Athapaththu. She took her time to settle down, scoring 29 off her first 27 balls. With 72 runs needed off 48 balls, her unbeaten 69 had timely boundaries that kept the required rate in check. Her decisive shots, especially in the 18th over, where she scored 17 runs, blunted India’s bowling attack.
The Dilhari-Ghosh Battle
The penultimate over of India’s innings was a Dilhari-Richa Ghosh battle. Ghosh, whose quickfire 30 off 14 balls included two fours and a six off the final over bowled by Dilhari, took India past 150. However, the pressure that Dilhari had built through her earlier economical bowling and the claiming of two key wickets was already there.
Tactical Missteps and Fielding Errors
The tactical decisions taken by India, coupled with the fielding lapses, were quite costly. Misfields and dropped catches, Harmanpreet Kaur being the main offender, only added to Sri Lanka’s cause. The death overs showed quite a struggle of the Indians under pressure, where Samarawickrama and Dilhari could not be contained.
Conclusion: Sri Lanka’s Historic Win
If anything, Sri Lanka had a solid performance from every department that was strengthened by stellar contributions from their mainstays. This victory meant not only the win against the defending champions but also a rejuvenation of much-needed confidence in Sri Lanka ahead of the T20 World Cup. It was an all-round performance that showed some round tactical brilliance, marking almost a surreal milestone in the history of Sri Lankan women’s cricket.