Harshitha Samarawickrama hit 69 not out after captain Chamari Athapaththu hit a brilliant half-century (61 off 43) to help Sri Lanka Women defeat seven-time champions Indian Women by eight wickets in the final to win their first Women’s Asia Cup title on Sunday at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
After India reached 165/6 with to a half-century by opener Smriti Mandhana (60 off 47) and a cameo by Richa Ghosh (30 off 14), the hosts raced to 167/2 in 18.4 overs thanks to excellent efforts by Samarawickrama and Athapaththu.
Sri Lanka’s run chase began on a shaky note as Vishmi Gunaratne was run out early. However, the veteran Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama kept the ship afloat with an important 87-run partnership for the second wicket. Athapaththu, who scored over 300 runs in the competition, delivered a captain’s knock, hitting her half-century in just 32 balls. Her aggressive innings of 61 off 43 balls, which featured nine fours and two sixes, paved the way for the victorious chase.
Deepti Sharma gave India the lead by bowling Athapaththu around her legs, but the Sri Lankan captain had already established the tone for the game. With 72 runs needed from the last eight overs, Harshitha took charge, scoring an unbroken 69-run knock to lead Sri Lanka to victory. Her cool under pressure was matched by Kavisha Dilhari, who scored 30 off 16 balls to help the hosts reach the mark comfortably with eight balls remaining.
India opted to bat first and struck a good 165/6 in their 20 overs. Smriti Mandhana led the way with a stunning knock of 60 off 47 balls, including 10 fours. Despite setbacks in the middle order, where Uma Chetry and Harmanpreet Kaur failed to capitalize, Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh ensured India maintained momentum. Rodrigues scored 29 off 16 balls, while Ghosh’s explosive 30 off 14 balls provided the necessary late surge.
Among the Sri Lankan bowlers, Kavisha Dilhari stood out with figures of 4-0-36-2. Udeshika Prabodhani, Sachini Nisansala, and Chamari Athapaththu all took wickets, keeping India’s formidable batting order under check.
Brief Scores:
India Women 165/6 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhan 60, Richa Ghosh 30; Kavisha Dilhari 2-36, Sachini Nisansala 1-20) lost to Sri Lanka Women 167/2 in 18.4 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 69 not out, Chamari Athapaththu 61; Deepti Sharma 1-30) by eight wickets.
