India beat Sri Lanka by 82 runs in the Women’s T20 World Cup, boosting their chances of reaching the semi-finals. India scored 172-3 in their 20 overs, the highest score of the tournament so far. In response, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 90 runs , just before the last ball of the match.
This win gives India two victories in three games, and they will face Australia, the six-time champions, in their final group match on Sunday. Only the top two teams from each group of five will make it to the semi-finals.
Strong opening partnership
Smriti Mandhana played a great innings, scoring 50 runs from 38 balls with four boundaries and a six. She and Shafali Verma had a 90-run partnership at the start. Then, captain Harmanpreet Kaur played a powerful knock, hitting 52 runs off just 27 balls, with eight boundaries and a six. Despite a neck injury from their last game against Pakistan, Kaur led India to a big total with her impressive batting. Harmanpreet Kaur has given the player of the match award for her fantastic match defining knock.
Sri Lanka’s Struggles in the Women’s T20 World Cup
In response, Sri Lanka had a rough start, losing three wickets for just six runs in the first three over
Kavisha Dilhari (21) and Anushka Sanjeevani (20) helped stabilize the innings by scoring 37 runs together for the fourth wicket. However, they struggled to keep up with the run rate, and only one other player, Emma Kanchana (19), managed to score in double digits. Sri Lanka bowled out for 90 runs.
Indian Bowler’s Shines
Renuka took two wickets, and Shreyanka got Athapaththu out during the early overs, which put Sri Lanka’s top order in trouble. After that, Asha and Arundhati each took three wickets to help India win the game. The Indian team was great in the field, with Renuka, Radha, and Shafali all making important catches.
Semifinal Qualification Scenario
With three defeats in three games Sri Lanka are now out of the tournament. While India is at second position in the group and has a chance to qualify the semifinals. The easiest way for India to qualify is to beat Australia and hope that both New Zealand and Pakistan lose at least one of their last two matches. If that happens, India will qualify based on points without worrying about net run rate (NRR). India can also reach the semi-finals if Australia loses both of their remaining matches. In that case, only one team between New Zealand and Pakistan can end up with six points.
