Sri Lanka Won Women’s Asia Cup 2024 Title

Sri Lanka won in the Women’s Asia Cup 2024, defeating India by eight wickets in a thrilling final at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. India’s journey to the final was relatively smooth, having dominated in the group stage and the semi-final against Bangladesh. However, Sri Lanka presented a formidable challenge. Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama played pivotal roles in keeping the pressure on India throughout the intense match, ultimately guiding their team to a well-deserved victory.

India’s Performance and Key Partnerships in Asia Cup Final

India, asked to bat first, posted a respectable total of 165 for six. Smriti Mandhana, continuing her stellar form from the Bangladesh match, scored 60 off 47 balls, including 10 fours. Her crucial 44-run partnership for the opening wicket set a strong foundation for India. However, Uma Chetry and Harmanpreet Kaur struggled to make an impact in the middle order. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh stepped up, ensuring India did not lose momentum. Rodrigues contributed 29 runs off 16 balls, while Richa added a quickfire 30 off 14. Among the Sri Lankan bowlers, Kavisha Dilhari stood out with figures of 4-0-36-2, while Udeshika Prabodhani, Sachini Nisansala, and Chamari Athapaththu each took one wicket.

Athapaththu and Samarawickrama Lead Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s chase began on a shaky note in the Asia cup final showdown with the early run-out of Vishmi Gunaratne. Nevertheless, Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama stabilized the innings with a crucial 87-run partnership for the second wicket. Chamari Athapaththu, having amassed over 300 runs in the tournament, reached her half-century in just 32 balls. Deepti Sharma provided a breakthrough for India by bowling Athapaththu around her legs for 61 off 43 balls. Despite this, Sri Lanka still needed 72 runs from the last eight overs. Harshitha Samarawickrama’s unbeaten 69-run knock was instrumental in guiding Sri Lanka to the target with eight balls to spare. Dilhari also made a valuable contribution, scoring an unbeaten 30 off 16 balls. This victory not only secured the title for Sri Lanka but also ended their four-match losing streak against India in the Women’s Asia Cup finals. The only other instance of India not winning the title was in 2018 when they lost to Bangladesh in the final.

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