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India Women win the Asia Cup 2022 by defeating Sri Lanka Women in the finals

The Indian ladies accomplished what their male colleagues failed to do this year. Just months after the Indian male cricket squad was eliminated from the Asia Cup, the women maintained their supremacy in the event with an eight-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the final on Saturday in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

This was the women’s seventh championship in eight years. Sri Lanka crumbled after electing to bat on a sluggish and shifting surface in their first championship final in 14 years. They only managed 65 for nine, which India chased down in 8.3 overs. Smriti Mandhana hit a stunning 51-ball not out.

The Indian squad competed in the seven-team competition this year, and with the exception of a surprising setback to Pakistan in the league round, India won all of its games quite convincingly. Their bowlers were up to the challenge in the knockout games, and after limiting Thailand to 74 runs in the semifinal, they delivered yet another great performance in the final, holding Sri Lanka to a score of 65 runs.

While this was India’s fifth Women’s Asia Cup triumph, they have yet to enjoy international glory.

Renuka Singh shone with the ball for India, taking three wickets while allowing only five runs in three overs. Spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2-16) and Sneh Rana (2-13) also responded with outstanding numbers, each claiming two wickets in four overs. India achieved the mark with 51 deliveries to spare thanks to opener Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten 51 from 25 balls.

Deepti Sharma, India’s ace all-rounder, remarked after the game that a World Cup victory is not far away. Deepti Sharma finished the multi-nation competition with 13 wickets at an average of 7.69 from eight matches. She also scored 94 runs in five innings, alongside 64-run knock against the UAE.

“We did well as a team from the first match through the final.  Obviously, winning the final gives you confidence,” Deepti, who was named Player of the Tournament, told reporters.

“As a team, we did well and supported one another, which is a positive sign.  We wanted to enjoy each and every game during the tournament.”

“If we keep working as a bowling and batting unit like this, the World Cup isn’t far away.  This will be our thinking the next time we play a final. Certainly, this Asia Cup victory would help a lot. Winning gives you confidence for the forthcoming series,” Deepti said.

“Our goal was always on doing well, rather than just winning, and it was about taking one game at a time,” she said of their strategy at the Asia Cup.

“As a bowling team, we decided to play to our strengths and concentrate on our talents.  We bowled in partnerships that put them under strain, and they lost wickets as a result. Sri Lanka performed admirably in the semifinals, and we did not take them lightly.  But that’s how sports work: one team wins and another loses. They have performed admirably throughout the event. Perhaps today wasn’t their day,” she said.

Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lankan Captain said: “Tough day as a team. Not a good batting display in the finals. Really upset today. The next year we have the T20 World Cup and we have learnt a lot in this tournament. I am happy with my bowling unit. We have couple of young players and I hope they do well as a batting unit. We don’t have a lot of experienced players but I hope the young players do well in the future.”

Harmanpreet Kaur, Indian Captain said: “We should credit our bowlers. Our fielding unit was good from ball one and we discussed that we should not give away easy runs. You have to read the wicket and accordingly place the fielders in right positions. We read the wicket well and positions fielders accordingly. We were not looking at the scoreboard but only decided our five-over targets. We never thought about what is the total on the board and batted accordingly.”

India 71 for 2 (Mandhana 51 not out) beat Sri Lanka 65 for 9 (Ranaweera 18, Renuka 3-5, Rana 2-13) by 8 wickets

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