Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma lead India to big win against Pakistan
The duo helped chase down Pakistan's 108 in just 14.1 overs in their Asia Cup encounter
Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on a quickfire opening partnership to help India chase down Pakistan's total in 14.1 overs in the Women's Asia Cup T20 game in Dambulla.
India's bowlers set the platform for a straightforward run-chase on the first day of the Women's Asia Cup T20 2024 in Sri Lanka. Up against Pakistan in their opener, India's bowlers were on fire after the opposition chose to bat first.
Deepti Sharma snared three wickets while Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar and Shreyanka Patil took two apiece to help India bowl Pakistan out for 108.
While the likes of Sidra Ameen and Tuba Hassan got starts, neither could salvage the innings for Pakistan in Dambulla. A late cameo from Fatima Sana (22 off 16 balls) helped Pakistan get to three figures.
Best of Smriti Mandhana for India at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023
India set the tone early in the run-chase with the openers matching each other shot for shot. As many as 57 runs came off the Powerplay as Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put India in the driver's seat.
The scoring rate spiked further when Mandhana smashed Tuba for five fours in an over. The left-handed opener was eventually dismissed for 45, but not before the stunning 85-run opening stand had all but ensured India's victory by a substantial margin.
Nepal register their first-ever win in Women's T20 Asia Cup with victory over UAE 👊
— ICC (@ICC) July 19, 2024
📝: https://t.co/fY0d0u8jmS | 📸: @ACCMedia1 pic.twitter.com/hEKiWcYkOg
In the other game, Nepal recorded their first victory in the Women's Asia Cup when they beat UAE by six wickets. Chasing 116 for a win, Nepal, led by opener Samjhana Khadka's unbeaten 72 off 45 balls, knocked off the target with 23 balls to spare.
The action resumes in the Women's Asia Cup on Saturday with Malaysia taking on Thailand and Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh.