India’s women’s cricket team continued their dominant run in the Women’s Asia Cup T20 2024, thrashing the United Arab Emirates by a massive 78 runs on Sunday. This victory marks their second consecutive win in the tournament, putting them firmly in contention for a semi-final spot.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India piled up an impressive 201 runs on the board in their 20 overs. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma laid a strong foundation, while fifties from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and the in-form wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh propelled the team to a daunting total.
The UAE batters struggled to chase down the mammoth target. India’s bowlers exhibited exceptional control, with Deepti Sharma taking the lead with figures of 3 wickets for 22 runs in her four overs. The rest of the bowling attack chipped in with wickets at regular intervals, restricting the UAE to a meagre 123 runs in their allotted overs.
Esha Oza (38 runs) and Kavisha Egodage (40* runs) offered some resistance for the UAE, but it was nowhere near enough to challenge the strong Indian bowling line-up. India’s comprehensive victory further bolsters their net run rate, making it highly likely they will progress to the knockout stages.
This win puts India in a commanding position in Group B. They will be aiming to maintain their winning momentum in their upcoming matches and solidify their place in the semi-finals.
