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In a commanding display at Dambulla on Sunday, Cricket Team India extended their winning streak in the Women’s Asia Cup with an all-round performance that saw them defeat the UAE by 78 runs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh played pivotal roles, showcasing their batting prowess and ensuring a dominant victory.
After the UAE won the toss and opted to field, India’s openers, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Varma, started aggressively, putting pressure on the UAE bowlers. However, Kavisha Egodage provided UAE with their first breakthrough by dismissing Mandhana for 13. Despite this, Shafali’s blistering 37 off 18 balls kept India’s momentum intact until she was dismissed by Samaira Dharnidharka.
India faced a brief setback as they reached 56/3 in six overs, but a crucial partnership between Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues steadied the ship. Rodrigues was dismissed for 14, but Kaur’s innings continued to shine. Partnered with Richa Ghosh, Kaur propelled India to a total of 201/5 in their 20 overs. Kaur scored a remarkable 66, while Ghosh blasted her way to a maiden T20I fifty, ending unbeaten on 64.
In their run chase, UAE struggled from the start against India’s bowlers. Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar’s pace proved too much for UAE as they reduced the team to 24/2 in 5.2 overs. The spinners took over the innings, with Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav adding to the pressure and restricting UAE to 123/7.
Kavisha Egodage was the standout performer for UAE with the bat, remaining unbeaten on 40, but her efforts were in vain as India clinched a comfortable win. Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers for India, claiming 2/23, while Renuka, Tanuja Kanwar, Pooja, and Radha each took a wicket.
India, with two wins from as many matches, sits at the top of Group A, while UAE remains at the bottom after two losses. This victory reinforces India’s strong position in the tournament and highlights their balanced team performance, both with the bat and ball.
