Sri Lanka Stuns 7 Times Champion India to Claim Maiden Women's Asia Cup Title

Captain Chamari Athapaththu’s explosive 50, combined with Harshitha Samarawickrama’s steady half-century, led Sri Lanka to an impressive eight-wicket win over defending champions India. This historic victory in the Women's Asia Cup final marked Sri Lanka’s maiden title in the tournament's history.

Tasked with chasing a challenging target of 166, Sri Lanka's batswomen delivered under pressure. Athapaththu (61 off 43 balls, 9x4, 2x6) and Samarawickrama (69 not out off 51 balls, 6x4, 2x6) constructed an 87-run partnership, keeping Sri Lanka ahead throughout the innings. They reached the target comfortably, finishing at 167 for two in 18.4 overs.

Athapaththu reached her fifty in just 33 balls, while Samarawickrama took 43 balls to hit her half-century. Their contrasting styles—Athapaththu’s aggressive shot-making and Samarawickrama’s clever placements—complemented each other perfectly. Athapaththu’s assault on left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar, including two fours and a six in one over, was particularly memorable.

Samarawickrama, though lacking the raw power of her captain, offset this with precise reverse sweeps against left-arm spinners Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav. As the target neared, she increased her tempo, highlighted by a slog-swept six off Yadav over mid-wicket.

Even after Deepti bowled Athapaththu around her legs, sparking brief Indian celebrations, Samarawickrama found strong support in Kavisha Dilhari (30 not out off 16 balls, 1x4, 2x6). Their unbeaten 73-run stand off just 40 balls secured Sri Lanka’s win.

Credit also goes to the Sri Lankan bowlers, who restricted a usually free-scoring Indian lineup. Smriti Mandhana's valiant 60 off 47 balls (10x4) anchored India’s innings, supported by Jemimah Rodrigues (29 off 16 balls, 3x4, 1x6) and Richa Ghosh (30 off 14 balls, 4x4, 1x6). Despite these efforts, Indian batters struggled against the disciplined Lankan spinners.

Sri Lanka's attack included only one pacer, Udeshika Prabodhani, with the rest being slow bowlers who utilized the slow pitch effectively. Shafali Verma’s struggles (16 off 19 balls) highlighted these challenges. Mandhana capitalized on a dropped catch at 10, punishing the hosts with elegant shots, especially against Prabodhani.

Despite Mandhana’s improvisation and resilience, the slowness of the pitch affected others. Harmanpreet Kaur and Uma Chetry fell cheaply, and after the run-out of Rodrigues and Mandhana’s dismissal, India was left at 133 for five in 16.5 overs. Ghosh’s aggressive late innings, including a massive slog-swept six off Dilhari, helped India cross the 160-run mark, but it proved insufficient against a determined Sri Lankan side.

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