The Sri Lankan Lionesses have secured their first-ever Women’s Asia Cup title in the ninth edition of the tournament. Throughout the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, Sri Lanka remained unbeaten. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama played pivotal roles, leading their team to a thrilling 8-wicket victory over India in the final.
India, after winning the toss, chose to bat first and started strong with 44 runs in the powerplay, finishing their innings at 165/6. Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 60 off 47 balls, while Kavisha Dilhari took 2 wickets for Sri Lanka.
In their chase, Sri Lanka comfortably reached 166/2 in 18.4 overs. Harshitha Samarawickrama shone with an unbeaten 69 off 51 balls, Chamari Athapaththu added 61 off 43 balls, and Kavisha Dilhari contributed a quick 30* off 16 balls. Harshitha Samarawickrama was named Player of the Match, and Chamari Athapaththu, for her 304 runs and 3 wickets, the Player of the Tournament.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu has been in exceptional form throughout 2024. Her remarkable performances have been the highlight of recent bilateral series against the West Indies and South Africa, as well as the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. Continuing her exceptional form in the 2024 Asia Cup, Athapaththu has set a new record for the most runs in the history of the tournament, scoring 304 runs, which included a century and two half-centuries, with a half-century coming in the semi-final against Bangladesh and another in the final against India, leading Sri Lanka to their maiden Women’s Asia Cup title. For her consistent efforts and remarkable performance, Chamari Athapaththu for her overall 304 runs & 3 wickets was awarded with the Player of the Tournament accolade.
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In the post-match presentation, Chamari Athapaththu expressed her happiness about the team’s recent performance, particularly highlighting the batting efforts of Harshitha and Dilhari. She acknowledged the team’s consistent performance over the last 12 months and their desire to maintain this momentum.
Chamari also extended her gratitude to the Sri Lankan fans for their unprecedented support, emphasizing the importance of this win for inspiring the next generation in Sri Lanka. She emphasized her role in leading by example and credited the positive atmosphere in the dressing room to the head coach and support staff. Looking ahead, Chamari mentioned that their next target is the World Cup, and they are focused on taking it one match at a time, further hoping to continue playing until the next 50-over World Cup.
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu expressed, “I am really happy about our team performance, especially the batting performances, especially Harshitha and Dilhari. We have played really good cricket in the last 12 months, and we want to continue it.”
Harshitha Samarawickrama stitched a partnership of 87 runs with skipper Chamari, to which she contributed 29 runs, but after Chamari’s dismissal, Harshitha changed her gears and played a crucial knock of an unbeaten 69 runs in the chase and was awarded the Player of the Match accolade. On receiving the award, she shared her joy about her performance in the game, expressing how great it felt to score crucial runs.
Despite missing two catches in the field, she remained determined to chase down India’s total. Harshitha was pleased to stay until the end and achieve that goal. Reflecting on her past failures, she felt especially happy about her success in this match. After Chamari’s dismissal, she aimed to play positively with Kavisha, which ultimately proved successful. She expressed her gratitude to the coach for allowing her the freedom to play her game.
Harshitha said, “I was able to stay there till the end and do that. I had failed in the past but am very happy today. When Chamari was out, I wanted to play positive cricket with Kavisha, and it worked out well in the end. I am very thankful to the coach that he gave me the freedom to play.”
(Quotes sourced from ESPNcricinfo)