With an eight-wicket victory against a self-destructing Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup final held here on Saturday, India continued to dominate the tournament, winning its seventh championship in eight attempts.
In the Women's Asia Cup 2022 final on Saturday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, India Women defeated Sri Lanka Women by an eight-wicket margin. India easily reached 71 for two in 8.3 overs while chasing a target of 66 runs in a lopsided game.
When Sri Lanka decided to bat on a sluggish, turning pitch in the tournament final, it crumbled, losing for the first time in 14 years. It only managed to score 65 for nine, which India defeated in 8.3 overs. Smriti Mandhana hit a magnificent 51 off 25 balls, remaining unbeaten.
Following a mix-up with Anushka Sanjeewani, who was run out six balls later, Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu was run out in the third over, starting a procession.
Smriti Mandhana, on the other hand, continued to bat brilliantly and scored 51* runs off 25 balls, including 6 fours and 3 sixes. The most experienced T20I player in women's cricket and captain Harmanpreet Kaur both contributed with respectable 11 runs to assist India to secure a convincing victory.
India's preparations for the T20 World Cup the following year are given a boost by the victory. It was able to test out players for various positions during the campaign, but that also played a part in its one loss, against Pakistan in the league stage.
