This is only the second time India hasn’t won the Women’s Asia Cup in nine attempts. A disappointed India captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, acknowledged the need for significant improvements before the upcoming T20 World Cup. The team faced an eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final on Sunday.
India posted a respectable score of 165 for 6. However, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu (62) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (69 not out) performed exceptionally well, chasing the target in just 18.4 overs. The Women’s T20 World Cup will be held in Bangladesh later this October.
“We need to improve in some areas. We will work hard and remember this day. Sri Lanka has played good cricket for a long time and continued to do so throughout this tournament,” Harmanpreet said during the post-match presentation on Sunday.
She admitted that India’s bowling didn’t go as planned, with the bowlers struggling to make breakthroughs.
“We played good cricket throughout the tournament, but we made a lot of mistakes today, and it cost us the game. It was a decent total, but we were looking for breakthroughs in the powerplay that didn’t happen. Sri Lanka batted really well,” added the India skipper.
Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu was thrilled with her team’s first major success in women’s international cricket.
“I am really happy about our team’s performance, especially the batting by Harshitha and Dilhari. We have played good cricket in the last 12 months and want to continue. The crowd was incredible, so special thanks to the Sri Lankan people who came out to support us. This win is important not just for the team but for the whole of Sri Lanka to inspire the next generation,” Chamari said.
Athapaththu played a crucial role in the chase, delivering one of the most important knocks of her career.
“I have to lead from the front; that’s my duty for my country. We always focus on positive things in the dressing room, credit for which goes to the head coach and support staff. Our next target is the T20 World Cup,” she concluded.
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Source: NDTV
