The final match of the Women’s Asia Cup T20 2022 will be played between India and Sri Lanka on October 15 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet. The game will begin at 1 PM IST.
Going into the finals, India beat Thailand by 74 runs, and Sri Lanka pipped Pakistan by one run in the semi-finals. While India will play its eighth final in the Asia Cup in as many editions of the competition, Sri Lanka will feature in its fifth, having ended up as the second-best on the last four occasions.
The two teams met in the league stage of the tournament. In that game, India trounced Sri Lanka by 41 runs.
Head-to-Head
India and Sri Lanka have played 22 T20Is against each other, out of which India has won 17, Sri Lanka has won four, and one match did not produce a result.
Squads
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh (wk), Dayalan Hemalatha, Sabbhineni Meghana, Kiran Navgire, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Madushika Methtananda, Kaushani Nuthyanga, Hasini Perera, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Tharika Sewwandi, Malsha Shehani, Rashmi Silva
Players to watch
Deepti Sharma:
The wily right-arm off-spinner of India is the most successful bowler in this tournament, with 13 wickets in seven matches. She has been good with the new ball inside the powerplay and effective in the middle and death overs. Apart from her bowling, she has made valuable contributions with the bat, scoring 94 in five innings.
Jemimah Rodrigues:
The right-handed top-order batter of India has been in blazing form in this competition. She is the highest run-scorer with 215 runs in five innings, including two half-centuries. She has a healthy average of 72 and a stellar strike rate of 138.
Inoka Ranaweera:
The talented left-arm spinner of Sri Lanka is second on the list of top wicket-takers in this tournament. She has scalped 12 wickets in seven outings, including one four-wicket haul. She has looked threatening, thanks to her probing lines and lengths, which ask plenty of questions to the batters.
Harshitha Samarawickrama:
The stylish southpaw of Sri Lanka is the leading run-getter for her team and second highest overall in this competition, with 201 runs in seven matches, at an average of 29, and a strike rate of 94. The left-handed batter will be required to provide a steady start to her team in the all-important final match of the tournament.
Pitch
The venue hosted 22 full matches in this tournament before the finals. The teams batting first won 15, and the teams batting second won seven. With a high chance of rain, the captain winning the toss may want to field first. The cloudy conditions could assist the fast bowlers. The outfield could be on the slower side due to the tremendous wear and tear that the venue has undergone during the competition.
Weather
The weather is expected to be humid, with intervals of clouds and sunshine. A couple of showers in the afternoon could be on the cards. The highest temperature attained during the day will be 33 degrees Celsius. There will be a 72 percent cloud cover and a 90 percent chance of rain. The wind will blow from the north-northeast.
Fantasy Playing XI
Anushka Sanjeewani, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Kavisha Dilhari, Chamari Athapaththu, Inoka Ranaweera, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sneh Rana
Match details
Date: October 15, 2022
Time: 1 PM IST
Venue: Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet
Live streaming: Star Sports Network
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.