Smriti Irani Congratulates India Women After Asia Cup Triumph
Smriti Irani congratulated India Women after their eighth Asia Cup title, praising their confidence and determination following a convincing 72 run victory over Sri Lanka.
India Women ended their Asia Cup campaign on a high, beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The victory secured their eighth title in the tournament’s history.
Former Union minister Smriti Irani congratulated the players after the impressive win. She described the performance as a proud moment for the country and praised the team’s hard work, determination and belief.
India had the game under control from the opening overs. After being asked to bat first, the team finished with 183 runs for five wickets, setting Sri Lanka a challenging target of 184.
Shafali Verma gave India a flying start. The opener smashed 68 runs from 39 balls and reached her half century in only 24 deliveries. Her quick fifty became the fastest half century recorded in Women’s Asia Cup history.
Smriti Mandhana provided equally valuable support at the other end. She scored 59 from 39 balls as the opening pair kept the pressure on Sri Lanka. Their 129 run partnership for the first wicket gave India the perfect platform to push towards a big score.
Sri Lanka’s chase never really got going. India’s bowlers kept finding breakthroughs and prevented the opposition from building a substantial partnership. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 111 runs.
Sree Charani led the attack with an impressive spell, taking four wickets for 20 runs. Deepti Sharma added three wickets after conceding just 19 runs, putting India firmly in control during the second innings.
The result was also significant because of what happened in the previous edition. Sri Lanka had beaten India in the 2024 Asia Cup final, but India turned the tables this time with a convincing all round performance.
India have now won six Asia Cup finals against Sri Lanka, underlining their strong record when the two sides meet for the title.
Irani said the team’s success reflected the players’ commitment and self belief. She also wished the squad more victories in the years ahead.
For the Indian women’s team, the latest title is another memorable addition to their Asia Cup record. The performances of Shafali, Mandhana and the bowling unit were central to a final that India controlled from start to finish.
