Women’s Asia Cup: Shafali Verma’s Career-Best 81 Guides India to Victory Over Nepal

In the final group-stage match of the Women’s Asia Cup, India delivered a dominant performance against Nepal, finishing unbeaten and showcasing their depth and adaptability. Opting to bat first with a rotated lineup, India scored 178/3, led by Shafali Verma’s career-best T20I score of 81. Nepal, in response, could only manage 96/9 from their 20 overs.

India’s captain Smriti Mandhana took charge for the toss, with Harmanpreet Kaur rested and Sajana Sajeevan and Arundhati Reddy stepping in. Hemalatha Dayalan opened the innings alongside Shafali, a move that saw Hemalatha contribute 47 runs from 42 balls. Although her innings was solid, it may not be enough to secure her a permanent spot if Yastika Bhatia returns or Jemimah Rodrigues is promoted.

Shafali’s innings was a standout, as she employed her trademark aggressive play without resorting to risky cross-batted shots. Her ability to focus on targeted areas and capitalize on Nepal’s fielding lapses demonstrated her growing maturity as a batter. “I tried to back my strengths and was able to execute it,” Shafali said, acknowledging the confidence boost from her recent double century in a Test match.

In the second innings, Deepti Sharma’s off-spin proved instrumental, claiming three wickets, while Arundhati Reddy added two more, ensuring Nepal never got close to the target. Mandhana expressed satisfaction with Shafali’s performance and the team’s finish, noting that the changes were made to give middle-order players valuable game time.

With the group stage concluded, India, having topped the table, is poised to face Bangladesh in the semifinals. Pakistan, who secured the second spot in their group, are expected to compete against Sri Lanka in the other semifinal.

Brief Scores:

• India: 178/3 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 81, Hemalatha Dayalan 47, Magar 2/25)
• Nepal: 96/9 in 20 overs (Deepti Sharma 3/13, Radha Yadav 2/12, Arundhati Reddy 2/28)
• Result: India won by 82 runs