Dambulla: India defeated Pakistan in their opening match of Women’s Asia Cup 2024 at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium by 7 wickets.

Pakistan had won toss and decided to bat first with Green Shirts posting a target of 109 after being bowled out with four deliveries remaining. Indian batters chased down the target in the 16th over with explosive performances by openers Shafali Verma (40 off 29 balls) and Smriti Mandhana (45 off 31 balls). Pakistan’s Tuba Hasan was thrashed for 36 runs in 2 overs while Syeda Aroob Shah picked up 2 wickets, giving away 9 runs only. During the first innings, Sidra Ameen scored the highest runs for Pakistan with 25 of 35 balls followed by Tuba Hassan’s 22 of 19 balls.

Fatima Sana remained not out for 22 off 16 deliveries and hit two crucial sixes in the 18th over to get the Green Shirts over the 100-run mark.  Openers Gull Feroza and Mumeeba Ali failed to give their side a solid foundation, losing their wickets for 5 and 11, respectively. The middle order could not recuperate as Aliya Riaz and Captain Nida Dar contributed a mere 6 and 8 runs off 11 balls each, respectively.

Indian bowlers dominated the Pakistani batters with Deepti Sharma taking 3-20, Renuka Singh 2-14, Pooja Vastrakar 2-31, and Shreyanka Patel closing this innings off with 2-14. The Indian team comes into the tournament with an impressive track record in the Women’s Asia Cup T20, winning 17 out of their 20 matches. Their most recent triumph came in 2022 when they clinched the title by defeating Bangladesh.

Additionally, India has dominated their encounters with Pakistan, boasting 11 wins out of 14 matches. At the captains’ press conference, Harmanpreet Kaur emphasised the tournament’s importance. “This tournament is significant for us as we aim to excel both at the Asian and global levels. Our focus remains the same whether we are preparing for the T20 World Cup or any other major event. Every game is crucial, and we strive to perform our best,” Kaur stated. She added,

“The challenge is to continue the successful strategies we’ve implemented in previous Asia Cups, maintain our dominance, and enjoy our cricket. Playing against Pakistan is always exciting, but every team is important. Our goal is to play good cricket consistently, and we will stick to this approach.” Nida Dar acknowledged the strength of the Indian team in T20 cricket. “Playing against India is valuable as they play with a great approach in T20s. This series is crucial for us to learn from them,” Dar said.