India Women Crush Sri Lanka by 82 Runs, Secure Dominant Win in Women's T20 World Cup
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| India Women secured a crucial victory, improving their net run rate significantly. / Getty |
India Knock Sri Lanka Out of Semis Race
India Women delivered a commanding performance in their Group A fixture, defeating Sri Lanka Women by 82 runs to secure their biggest-ever win in Women’s T20 World Cups in terms of runs. The victory also marked India's revenge for their defeat in the Asia Cup final, while Sri Lanka became the second team, after Scotland, to be eliminated from the tournament’s semi-final race.
India’s Batting Dominance
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, India got off to a flying start, with openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma putting on a strong 98-run partnership. Mandhana was the first to reach her half-century, but was run out immediately after on the very next ball. Verma followed suit, getting dismissed for 43 off 40, leaving India at 98/2.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur then took charge, smashing a quickfire 50* off just 27 balls to propel India to a competitive total of 172/3 in their 20 overs.
Sri Lanka's Struggles Begin Early
In response, Sri Lanka got off to a disastrous start when Renuka Singh Thakur struck early, dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne for a duck. Things worsened for Sri Lanka when Shreyanka Patil removed their captain Chamari Athapaththu in the second over, leaving Sri Lanka in deep trouble.
Despite brief resistance from Kavisha Dilhari and Anushka Sanjeewani, Sri Lanka struggled throughout their innings, losing wickets at regular intervals. Ama Kanchana (19 off 22) provided a late flourish to help Sri Lanka reach 90, but the damage had already been done.
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| Asha Shobana picked up three wickets / Getty |
Indian Bowlers Shine
India’s bowlers were relentless, led by Arundhati Reddy and Asha Shobana, who picked up three wickets each. Renuka Singh Thakur was equally impressive with figures of 2/16, while Shreyanka Patil and Deepti Sharma chipped in with one wicket each. Sri Lanka’s innings eventually folded for 90 in 19.5 overs.
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| India Women move to second place in Group A after defeating Sri Lanka Women by 82 runs. / Getty |
India Move to Second Place
With this emphatic win, India moved up to second in Group A, although they have played one more game than Pakistan and New Zealand. Sri Lanka's elimination from the tournament means that the semifinal spots will now be contested between India, Pakistan, and New Zealand.
Brief Scores:
- India: 172/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 51, Harmanpreet Kaur 50*, Shafali Verma 43)
- Sri Lanka: 90 all out in 19.5 overs (Ama Kanchana 19, Arundhati Reddy 3/20, Asha Shobana 3/24)
- Result: India won by 82 runs, Sri Lanka eliminated from semi-final race.