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Harmanpreet Kaur and the bowlers put on a stunning show to crush Sri Lanka, giving India a significant boost in net run rate.

India did a great job, scoring 172 for 3 with Harmanpreet making 52*, Mandhana 50, and Shafali 43. Sri Lanka tried their best but only managed to score 90 runs, with Reddy and Asha taking 3 wickets each.

On a brisk evening in Dubai, with their semi-final qualification hopes at stake, the Indian cricket team unleashed their best performance to overpower Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup 2024. They delivered an exceptional batting display, arguably the most .

In their first innings, India achieved a score of 172 for 3, the highest total in this T20 World Cup, thanks to half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur. They then bowled out Sri Lanka for 90 runs, winning by 82 runs, India's largest victory in T20 World Cups. Arundhati Reddy and Asha Sobhana each took three wickets. This big win improved India's net run rate (NRR) to 0.576, surpassing Pakistan's and trailing only behind Australia's. This is significant because their NRR had suffered after a 58-run loss to New Zealand in their first match.

"Shafali and Mandhana serve as a powerful reminder of what India missed out on."

Before Wednesday, India's opening stands against Pakistan and New Zealand were 18 and 11 respectively. In a tournament where batting first seemed to give teams an advantage, India batted second in both their matches. India got to bat first after Harmanpreet won her first toss and the openers set about their task steadily.
Sri Lanka pressed their spinners into service and both Shafali Verma and Mandhana found it tough to break free. Shafali took the aerial route for India's first four in the third over and did so again in the fourth and the fifth. She was on 24 off 20 in the fifth over; at that point Mandhana was on 6 off 10. But in a pattern different from the previous game, she was not being impatient or trying too hard.

Mandhana finally got going with a smack over the left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari's head as India ended the powerplay on 41 for 0. She also slogged another left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera for a six over wide long-on in the next year to signal the gear change. India managed to hit at least one four in each over between the third and the ninth. Chamari Athapaththu kept India guessing by giving her bowlers one-over spells till the 13th over, by then Mandhana overtook Shafali to get to a fourth T20 World Cup half-century.

Harmanpreet extends his greetings from the third position.

India's opening partnership was ended at 98 runs, with Athapaththu and Ama Kanchana making crucial catches. Harmanpreet batted at No. 3 and played a significant role, while Jemimah Rodrigues provided momentum after two quick wickets. Harmanpreet's aggressive batting, including a blitz of 52 not out off 27 balls, helped India take 46 off the last four overs, the most by any team in this T20 World Cup.

She had retired hurt against Pakistan due to a neck injury, and had come for the toss with a pain-relief patch on the right side of her neck but was termed fit for this game. However, she did not take the field in the chase, with Mandhana captaining the team.

Sri Lanka slide in chase

Heading into the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka had the most wins since April last year. Their win-loss ratio was better than that of India and Australia. They had won their maiden Asia Cup title by hunting down 166 runs. Although it might have been premature to write them off in the 173-run chase in Dubai, India dominated the match from the beginning and didn't allow Sri Lanka to gain any advantage.

In the second ball of the chase, Radha Yadav, who substituted for Harmanpreet, displayed an impressive athletic effort. Positioned at backward point, she sprinted to her right and executed a full-length dive to secure a catch after Vishmi Gunaratne miscued the ball. Following this, Mandhana entrusted the new ball to Shreyanka Patil, opting to start with her over Deepti Sharma. Patil's decision paid off, as she delivered a slightly quicker ball that induced spin away from the batter, prompting a defensive poke from Athapaththu, resulting in an edge to slip. Renuka Singh then claimed the wicket of Harshitha Samarawickrama in the third over, diminishing the opposition's challenge.

Legspinner Asha further contributed in the middle overs, capitalizing on the sharp spin available to dismiss three batters. Among her notable achievements was the wicket of Anushka Sanjeewani, who had been instrumental in the 37-run fourth-wicket partnership with Dilhari. Asha adeptly varied her deliveries, luring Sanjeewani into a stumping opportunity, which was skillfully completed by Richa Ghosh. Both Asha and Reddy, who was the Player of the Match against Pakistan, maintained consistent pressure through the middle overs. Despite Reddy conceding 12 runs in her first over, she finished with impressive figures of 3 for 19. Sri Lanka's struggle continued, as they posted a double-digit total for the third consecutive game in the competition.

This performance has significantly boosted India's prospects of securing a semi-final berth, especially with their upcoming crucial league game against Australia scheduled for Sunday.