There is a point of difference between criticism and trolling as women in blue received backlash after the Women’s Asia Cup defeat.
The Indian women’s team led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur recently participated in the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024. They had an impressive campaign as they were unbeaten throughout the league stages of the tournament. They topped Group A with three victories from three games. They were up against Bangladesh led by skipper Nigar Sultana in the first semi-final.
Women in Blue got over the line by 10 wickets to book a spot in the final. They were up against Sri Lanka led by skipper Chamari Athapathu in the final. The hosts defeated Pakistan in an edge-of-the-seat thriller by three wickets in the 2nd semi-final to book their spot for the title clash against the Harmanpreet-Kaur-led side. India posted a competitive total of 165/6 in their quota of overs after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first. Courtesy of a late flourish from Jemimah Rodrigues and the wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh, India went past the 160-run mark.
However, a spirited performance from the Sri Lankan batters, saw the hosts chase down the 166-run total with eight wickets in hand and eight balls to spare. Half-centuries from skipper Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama, followed by a quick-fire cameo from Kavisha Dilhari played a pivotal role in her side to get over the line in the run chase. It was also Sri Lanka’s first-ever ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup title.
To place your bets and earn real money, click on the image and sign up now:
India was outplayed in all three departments by the hosts Sri Lanka and eventually, the side who played their best cricket on the day went away with the glory. Women in Blue suffered a lot of backlash, and outrage on social media, fans have expressed their disappointment for the side not being able to clinch another Asian title.
However, we must also remember that there is a very thin line between constructive criticism and trolling, which in an ideal world shouldn’t be crossed. Over the years, India has been one of the most consistently dominating sides of Asia. Their sensational record in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Women’s Asia Cup with seven (4 ODIs and three T20Is) titles speaks volumes of the quality of cricket they have managed to sustain over a longer period of time.
The Indian team is going through a good period of time at the international level, especially in the T20I format. They have an impressive win percentage of around 69% in the T20I format this year. There are definitely some areas to improve upon, heading into the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. However, with the brand of cricket India has adopted this year and the consistent success they have achieved this year will hold them in good stead.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be hosted by Bangladesh and the tournament will commence on 3rd October 2024 and will conclude on 20th October 2024. India will kickstart their T20 World Cup campaign on 4th October 2024 against New Zealand in Sylhet.
