India take an eighth Women's Asia Cup with a 72-run win over Sri Lanka
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on 129 for the first wicket in Dubai. Shree Charani took four and Deepti Sharma three as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111.
India won the Women's Asia Cup for an eighth time on Sunday, beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India made 183 for 5 from their 20 overs. Sri Lanka, needing 184, were bowled out for 111.
The opening stand decided it
The match was effectively settled in the first half of India's innings.
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on 129 for the first wicket. Shafali made 68 from 39 balls with nine fours and two sixes; Mandhana made 59 from 39 balls with five fours and three sixes.
The two openers made 127 of India's 183 between them, from 78 balls. India lost five wickets in the innings and added 54 more runs after the stand was broken.
Sri Lanka never got going
The chase did not produce a partnership of comparable weight.
Chamari Athapaththu top-scored with 36, and the side was dismissed for 111, well short of the target.
Shree Charani took four wickets and Deepti Sharma three. Between them the two bowlers accounted for seven of the ten, which is the shape of a chase that was dismantled rather than merely contained.
What the captain said
Harmanpreet Kaur, who led the side, spread the credit across the team, saying "we all performed", and singled out the openers for what she called an "absolutely great job".
The second part is the accurate reading of the scorecard. The openers produced 129 of India's 183, and the difference between the two totals is larger than the margin of victory.
An eighth title
The win extends India's record in the competition. It is the eighth time the country has taken the Women's Asia Cup, more than any other side.
India beat Sri Lanka by a margin that did not require a close finish.
The week before
The final followed a semi-final against Bangladesh in which India's fielding drew attention. Four catches went down, and Deepti Sharma addressed the lapses at the post-match press conference in Dubai, saying the team does not take any opponent lightly regardless of who reached the final.
Whatever was said in the days between, the fielding did not cost India in the final. Sri Lanka were bowled out, which requires ten dismissals to be completed rather than merely created.
Where this sits
The Asia Cup is a regional tournament rather than a world event, and an eighth title is a measure of consistency within Asia rather than a statement about the global order in women's cricket.
But the manner of it matters for what comes next. India will send a women's cricket squad to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where they are among the defending champions, with the Games opening on 19 September.
A final won by 72 runs, built on a 129-run opening stand and closed out by two bowlers taking seven wickets between them, is the kind of performance a side takes into a tournament rather than recovers from.
Sources
- Outlook India — Outlook Sports Desk. India 183/5, Sri Lanka 111; Shafali 68 off 39 with 9x4 2x6; Mandhana 59 off 39 with 5x4 3x6; 129 opening stand; Charani 4 wickets, Deepti 3; Athapaththu 36; Harmanpreet Kaur quoted; eighth title.
- Al Jazeera — Hafsa Adil and Manasi Pathak. India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 13 September; Sri Lanka chasing 184.
- Sportskeeda — Full scorecard: both innings ball-by-ball totals, dismissals, extras, fall of wickets and bowling figures.
| Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smriti Mandhanarun out (Nuthyangana/Dilhari) | 59 | 39 | 5 | 3 | 151.28 |
| Shafali Vermac Athapaththu b Praboda | 68 | 39 | 9 | 2 | 174.36 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur (c)c sub (Kavindi) b Ayodhya | 14 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Richa Ghoshc Dilhari b Athapaththu | 17 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 130.77 |
| Deepti Sharmarun out (Ayodhya/Samarawickrama) | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Bharti Fulmalinot out | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Gunalan Kamalininot out | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 300.00 |
Extras 3 (lb 1, w 2)
Did not bat Prema Rawat, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud
Fall of wickets 1-129 (Shafali Verma, 12.5 ov), 2-132 (Smriti Mandhana, 13.4 ov), 3-160 (Richa Ghosh, 17.1 ov), 4-166 (Harmanpreet Kaur, 18.4 ov), 5-167 (Deepti Sharma, 18.5 ov)
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mithali Ayodhya | 4 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 8.25 |
| Kavisha Dilhari | 3 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 9.67 |
| Sugandika Kumari | 4 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 7.75 |
| Chamari Athapaththu | 4 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 8.50 |
| Chamudi Praboda | 4 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Nilakshi de Silva | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15.00 |
| Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imesha Dulanib Gaud | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Chamari Athapaththu (c)st Ghosh b Deepti Sharma | 36 | 32 | 4 | 2 | 112.50 |
| Vishmi Gunaratneb Deepti Sharma | 20 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 90.91 |
| Harshitha Samarawickramac and b Charani | 9 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 64.29 |
| Nilakshi de Silvac Kamalini b Charani | 22 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 137.50 |
| Kavisha Dilharic Nandani Sharma b Charani | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Hasini Pererac Charani b Shafali Verma | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Kaushani Nuthyanganab Deepti Sharma | 9 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 64.29 |
| Sugandika Kumaric Nandani Sharma b Charani | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14.29 |
| Mithali Ayodhyast Ghosh b Rawat | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Chamudi Prabodanot out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Extras 2 (b 2)
Fall of wickets 1-4 (Imesha Dulani, 0.4 ov), 2-62 (Chamari Athapaththu, 9.3 ov), 3-63 (Vishmi Gunaratne, 9.6 ov), 4-86 (Harshitha Samarawickrama, 13.5 ov), 5-100 (Kavisha Dilhari, 15.2 ov), 6-101 (Nilakshi de Silva, 15.4 ov), 7-103 (Hasini Perera, 16.4 ov), 8-104 (Sugandika Kumari, 17.5 ov), 9-107 (Mithali Ayodhya, 18.6 ov), 10-111 (Kaushani Nuthyangana, 19.6 ov)
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kranti Gaud | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 4.00 |
| Nandani Sharma | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 5.67 |
| Shafali Verma | 4 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 5.75 |
| Shree Charani | 4 | 1 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
| Deepti Sharma | 4 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 4.75 |
| Prema Rawat | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 7.33 |
