“Dominant India Women Set to Face Nepal, Eye Semi-Final Berth in Women’s Asia Cup 2024”
Buoyant India will aim to extend their winning streak and secure a semifinal berth when they face Nepal in their final Group A game of the 2024 Women’s T20 Asia Cup on Tuesday. India has recorded convincing victories in their first two matches of the tournament, defeating traditional rivals Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates by seven wickets and 78 runs, respectively, putting them on the verge of the semifinals. Nepal, reeling from a heavy defeat to Pakistan in their last outing, will face a formidable Indian side that recently dominated the Emirates team.
India, poised to enter the semifinals, has shown strong performances in both batting and bowling throughout the tournament. Their opening duo, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, excelled against Pakistan, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh shone in the middle order against the UAE. Ghosh, in particular, was destructive, scoring 64 off just 29 balls, complemented by Kaur’s 66 off 47 deliveries, leading India to their first-ever 200-plus total in T20Is.
The Indian bowling attack, featuring Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, and Deepti Sharma, has been effective in both containing runs and taking wickets. Tanuja Kanwar, replacing the injured Shreyanka Patil, also impressed, conceding only 14 runs and taking a wicket in her full quota of four overs.
Nepal, led by Indu Barma, started the tournament with a historic six-wicket victory over the UAE. While this win boosts their confidence, they face a daunting challenge against a dominant Indian side.
Teams:
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Tanuja Kanwar, Sajana Sajeevan.
Nepal: Indu Barma (C), Kajol Shrestha, Rubina Chettri, Sabnam Rai, Sita Rana Magar, Rajmati Airee, Puja Mahato, Bindu Rawal, Roma Thapa, Mamta Chaudhary, Kabita Joshi, Kabita Kunwar, Dolly Bhatta, Kritika Marasini, Samjhana Khadka.
Match starts at 7 PM IST.
