The win against Hong Kong ensured India’s place in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, which was washed out, and India qualified in the finals on the virtue of a better net run rate. Bangladesh found themselves in the semi-final against Pakistan as a result of the washout games. Bangladesh put up a clinical performance in yet another rain-affected game which resulted in a shortened game where Bangladesh beat Pakistan to enter into the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup finals to face India.
The India-A skipper Shweta Sehrawat won the toss and opted to bat first against Bangladesh-A in the final. The openers S Sehrawat and wicket-keeper Uma Chetry got off to a steady start in the powerplay. India lost their skipper inside the powerplay and just when Chetry was looking all set to get into another gear she lost her wicket to a superb delivery from the leg-spinner Rabeya Khan. Dinesh Vrinda kept the momentum going, scoring 36 runs at a strike rate of 124.13 including five boundaries and a maximum.
Kanika Ahuja provided the much-needed finishing touches to the innings, scoring 30* runs at an impressive strike rate of 130.43, helping India-A post a competitive total of 127/7 on the board in the finals, shifting the momentum back in India’s favor at the halfway stage. The Left-arm spinner Nahida Akter and the leg-spinner Rabeya Khan were the stand-out performers with the ball for Bangladesh-A.
30* (23) & 2/23
Let's congratulate Player of the Match Kanika Ahuja for her brilliant performance in today's final 🙌🏻#CricketTwitter 📸: ACC pic.twitter.com/PfBMxw7xqQ
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 21, 2023
Defending a total of 128, the India bowlers came out all guns blazing with the ball. The trio of Mannat Kashyap, Shreyanka Patil, and Kanika Ahuja spun a web around the Bangladesh batting line-up, not allowing the batters to score freely, regularly chipping away with the wickets. With the pitch assisting the spinners they shared 88% of the wickets in the final. Only three batters Shathi Rani, Sobhana Mostary, and Nahida Akter from the Bangladesh batting line-up managed to enter double digits.
Shreyanka 🌟 Patil
Congratulations to Shreyanka Patil for bagging the Player of the Tournament award 🏆
She took 9 wickets overall including a 5-wicket haul 🔥#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/KDBaiwc2KH
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 21, 2023
India-A beat Bangladesh-A by 31 runs to be crowned as the Inaugural champion of the Emerging Women’s Asia Cup. Kanika Ahuja was awarded the player of the match for her impressive all-round performance in the final. The 20-year-old right-arm off-spinner Shreyanka Patil was awarded the Player of the Tournament for her exceptional performance with the ball, throughout the course of the tournament, picking up 9 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 2.14.
🇮🇳CHAMPIONS 🏆
Shweta Sehrawat and co. have done it 🥳#CricketTwitter 📸: ACC pic.twitter.com/15ppy2fvza
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 21, 2023
