Sri Lanka thrash India by 8 wickets to clinch maiden Women’s T20 Asia Cup; WATCH winning moment

Captain Chamari Athapaththu’s explosive fifty, complemented by Harshitha Samarawickrama’s steady half-century, powered Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket victory over defending champions India, securing their maiden Women’s T20 Asia Cup title on Sunday. This defeat marks only the second time in nine editions of the Asia Cup (WODI and WT20I formats) that India has lost a final, with the previous loss occurring against Bangladesh in 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.

Chasing a challenging target of 166, Sri Lanka excelled thanks to Athapaththu (61, 43b, 9x4, 2x6) and Samarawickrama (69 not out, 51b, 6x4, 2x6), reaching 167 for two in 18.4 overs.

Athapaththu and Samarawickrama put together an 87-run partnership, keeping Sri Lanka consistently ahead of their opponents.

The second-wicket stand showcased a balance of styles, with Samarawickrama’s calm approach complementing the aggression of her captain.

Athapaththu reached her fifty in just 33 balls, while Samarawickrama took 43 balls to achieve the same milestone, highlighting their differing shot selections.

Athapaththu scored all around the field and launched a stunning assault on left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar, hitting two fours and a six in her first over.

In contrast, Samarawickrama, lacking the power of her senior, utilized clever placements, including reverse sweeps against left-arm spinners Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav.

As Sri Lanka approached a safer position, Samarawickrama increased the tempo, notably hitting a slog-swept six off Yadav over mid-wicket.

In the midst of Sri Lanka's chase, Deepti Sharma managed to bowl Athapaththu around her legs with a fuller delivery, sparking celebrations among the Indians, who had appeared lethargic in the field until that moment.

However, the celebrations were short-lived as Samarawickrama found an able partner in Kavisha Dilhari (30 not out, 16b, 1x4, 2x6). The duo added an unbeaten 73 runs off just 40 balls for the third wicket, guiding their team to victory.

Equal credit goes to the Sri Lankan bowlers for stifling India's typically free-flowing batters.

Smriti Mandhana's resilient half-century (60, 47b, 10x4) helped India post a competitive 165 for six, with support from Jemimah Rodrigues (29, 16b, 3x4, 1x6) and Richa Ghosh (30, 14b, 4x4, 1x6).

However, the Indian batters faced a tight contest against a range of Sri Lankan spinners. The home side included only one pacer, Udeshika Prabodhani, with the rest of the attack comprising slow bowlers.

The Lankan bowlers capitalized on the slow pitch, often leaving the Indian batters frustrated.

Shafali Verma (16 from 19 balls) notably struggled to time her shots effectively.

Smriti Mandhana had a stroke of luck at 10 when her weak chip off spinner Dilhari (2/36) was dropped at covers by Samarawickrama.

Mandhana punished the hosts for this mistake with some beautiful shots, especially against Prabodhani, hitting three fours in the sixth over to take India to 44 without loss.

However, Verma was soon out, leg before to Dilhari, after being struck on the pads while attempting a shot to the on-side.

As the Power Play ended, Mandhana resorted to some creative shots, like scoops behind the stumps, to find boundaries.

The Indian vice-captain, who reached her fifty in 36 balls, had to frequently create space for herself or shuffle across the stumps to find the ropes due to the ball not coming onto her bat smoothly.

While Mandhana managed to counter the deck's slowness, it proved challenging for Harmanpreet and Uma Chetry, who was promoted to No. 3.

At 87 for three in the 12th over, India needed to accelerate, and an aggressive Rodrigues provided the impetus alongside Mandhana, adding 41 runs off 25 balls for the fourth wicket.

However, Rodrigues' run out and Mandhana's dismissal left India at 133 for five in 16.5 overs.

Ghosh played a typically brisk innings, including a powerful slog-swept six off Dilhari over mid-wicket.

In partnership with Pooja Vastrakar, Ghosh added 31 runs for the sixth wicket, helping India surpass the 160-run mark.

Brief Scores: India 165/6 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 60, Jemimah Rodgrigues 29, Richa Ghosh 30; Kavisha Dilhari 2/36) lost to Sri Lanka 167/2 in 18.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 61, Harshitha Samarawickrama 69*, Kavisha Dilhari 30*; Deepti Sharma 1/30) by 8 wickets.