September 13, Colombo (LNW): India and Sri Lanka are set to meet in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday (13), with an intriguing contest in prospect as both teams enter the title decider without a defeat in the tournament.
India, the most successful side in the competition with seven championships, will be chasing an eighth crown. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will be determined to defend the title they secured in 2024, when they produced a memorable eight-wicket victory over India in the final.
The Indian side booked its place in the championship match with a comfortable 40-run win over Bangladesh in the semi-final. Sri Lanka had a tighter passage, overcoming Pakistan by four wickets in a low-scoring encounter to earn another shot at the continental title.
India’s campaign has been driven by strong performances from Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, who have accumulated 168 and 154 runs respectively. With the ball, Deepti Sharma has emerged as one of the tournament’s standout performers, taking 11 wickets and providing India with a potent threat in the middle overs.
Sri Lanka will look towards skipper Chamari Athapaththu for another influential display. Her ability to contribute with both bat and ball has been central to the champions’ progress, while Harshitha Samarawickrama and Sugandika Kumari have also played important roles during the tournament.
On recent head-to-head numbers, India hold the advantage, having won nine of their past 10 T20 internationals against Sri Lanka. However, those statistics are unlikely to offer much comfort to the Indian camp given what happened the last time the two teams contested this trophy.
Sri Lanka’s emphatic victory in the 2024 final demonstrated that they are capable of overturning the form book when the stakes are highest. With both teams unbeaten on their way to Dubai’s final, another competitive battle is expected, with the Asian title ultimately resting on which side handles the pressure of the occasion better.
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