India favourites but Sri Lanka won't be pushovers in Women's Asia Cup final
The two teams have been neck and neck at this year's tournament
Srinidhi Ramanujam
27-Jul-2024
Match details
India vs Sri Lanka, Women's T20 Asia Cup final Dambulla, July 27, 3pm local timeBig Picture: India and Sri Lanka neck and neck
It's 2004. India vs Sri Lanka, the inaugural Women's Asia Cup. India win 5-0 (it was a five-match bilateral ODI series). Cut to 2024. India vs Sri Lanka again, in a title decider. The format has changed, there were plenty more teams involved but one of them stands above the rest. Over the last two decades, India have grown into a powerhouse, winning all barring one edition of the tournament. They remain favourites to defend their crown, but will likely be pushed a little harder this time.
Sri Lanka have enjoyed remarkable sporting success since 2023, beating quality sides such as England, New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and falling short only against Australia and India. In these tales of glory, they have found several match-winners and have churned out the kind of consistent performances that had previously eluded them. The fans recognise this too. The stadiums for this tournament have been packed.
In terms of numbers at this Asia Cup, India and Sri Lanka have scored 559 and 504 runs, respectively. India have witnessed four half-centuries from four different players and for Sri Lanka, Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunratane have crossed the 50-mark. With the ball, India and Sri Lanka have taken 31 and 27 wickets respectively. There really is very little separating them this time.
For India, clinching an Asia Cup might seem like a mile marker on the road to bigger things - the T20 World Cup is coming up in October. But for Sri Lanka, a win on Sunday could have far-reaching effects. It could inspire more girls to pick up cricket. It could form the basis of a pay rise or kick off a conversation about a women's T20 league. The first win is always special. But is it coming home, Sri Lanka?
Form guide
Sri Lanka WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWW
India WWWWW
In the spotlight: Chamari Athapaththu and Smriti Mandhana
Chamari Athapaththu is always the biggest threat to any of Sri Lanka's opponents. Only once in this tournament, has she failed to cross the 40-run mark. Her versatile 63 against Pakistan in the semi-final proved she doesn't succumb to the pressure of playing in front of a loud home crowd.
For India, Smriti Mandhana will be crucial. The vice-captain has 435 runs in T20Is this year at an average of 43.50, making her the highest run-getter for India and the third-highest overall. An aggressive opener, she is also capable of playing the anchor role when wickets fall around her.
Team news: Full-strength XIs on the cards
Athapaththu had strapping on her right arm, but she was good to play through any pain on Friday. Sri Lanka opener Gunaratne had limped off the field against Pakistan in the first innings but came out to bat during the chase.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Vishmi Gunaratne, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4 Hasini Perera, 5 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 6 Kavisha Dilhari, 7 Nilakshika Silva, 8 Inoshi Priyadharshani, 9 Udeshika Prabodhani, 10 Sugandika Kumari, 11 Achini Kulasuriya
The young keeper-batter Uma Chetry replaced D Hemalatha at No. 3, in India's semi-final against Bangladesh. Chetry didn't get a chance to bat on Friday with the openers chasing down the target comfortably. They are likely to hand Chetry another opportunity with Hemalatha failing to notch an impactful innings in the last few months.
India (probable): 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Smriti Mandhana, 3 Uma Chetry, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Pooja Vastrakar, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Tanuja Kanwar, 11 Renuka Singh
Pitch and conditions: Runs galore
The weather looks clear for Sunday. Friday's day game had some cloud cover, which was nice for the players but if that isn't the case, it could be humid to start. The Dambulla track is expected to be batting-friendly.
Stats that matter: Athapaththu leads the way as captain
- Athapaththu is now the leading run-getter in T20Is as a captain, with 2644 runs.
- Radha Yadav and Deepti Sharma are the joint leading wicket-takers in T20Is this year among the Full Member nations, with 22 each.
- Richa Ghosh has the highest strike rate in this Asia Cup, having struck at 218.75 in the two innings.
Srinidhi Ramanujam is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo