Ahead of the Women’s Asia Cup game against Nepal, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said that cricket is like a “god” to her since it has given her everything. The Women in Blue will be aiming to make it a hat-trick of wins as they carry on their women’s Asia Cup title defence in a match against Nepal on Tuesday. While India is at the top of Group A with two wins in two games and are almost certain for the semifinals, they would like to win this last group stage game to keep the momentum going. So far, India has notched wins against arch-rivals Pakistan and UAE.

Speaking exclusively to ” target=”_blank”>Star Sports, Harmanpreet said, “Cricket, I think, is everything to me. Without cricket, I do not think I would be anything. The name that cricket has given me, no other field could have given it to me. So I think, for me, cricket is like a god. Whatever I dreamt of in my childhood, whatever I dreamt of while playing, everything has been given to me by cricket.”

Harmanpreet recalled that when she held the Indian jersey for the first time, she took a picture after wearing it. After that, she was confused about whether to share the picture with her parents first or with her coach.

“I can say that off-field, when I held the Indian jersey for the first time, I took a photo after wearing it for the first time, and I was just thinking about who deserves this photo first. Should I send it to my parents, or the coach who gave me this platform, who gave me admission to his school, and said, ‘I will start cricket in school for you,’ should I send it to him? So I was so confused, who should I send first, because both were equally important to me,” said the skipper.

On her favourite moment on the field, Kaur said that her knock of 171* in 115 balls against Australia in the semifinal of 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup stands out to her.

“On the field, in 2017, when I scored 171, that was something. I remember before that game, one of my friends told me, ‘We will win tomorrow only if you score 150 runs.’ I said, ‘150 runs? I have heard that you will score 100 runs, you will win tomorrow. 150, I mean, what is this demand, right? I will have to score 150 runs to win tomorrow.’ So that was stuck in my head for the whole night, and I kept thinking, ‘It is the Australian team, so I will have to play something different to beat them,’ because they had such a strong team. So I think that was very special for me,” recalled Harmanpreet.

Harmanpreet said that over last seven to eight years, the team’s performance has been very good. But before that, they were not able to win so many tournaments and play an aggressive brand of cricket, she added.

“So we always discuss that if there are two options, we will always choose the aggressive option. Before, it felt like we were playing timidly. When things did not go according to our plan, we used to get scared very quickly, but now we play a little brave cricket, so we make brave decisions. With time, we have forced people to come to the stadium through our performance,” she concluded.

Buoyant India will look to extend their winning run and seal a semifinal berth when they face Nepal in their final Group A game of the 2024 Women’s T20 Asia Cup on Tuesday. India registered convincing wins in their first two matches of the continental tournament, beating traditional rivals Pakistan and United Arab Emirates by seven wickets and 78 runs respectively to put one foot in the semifinals. Minnows Nepal hardly have any time to recover from the thrashing they received at the hands of Pakistan in their previous outing on Sunday, the same day when the tournament’s overwhelming favourites and defending champions India bulldozed the hapless Emirates side.

While India are primed to enter the last-four, Pakistan improved their net run rate with the comfortable win over Nepal lifting them to the second spot in Group A.

India will, however, not be bothered by how the other teams are doing and will look to sustain the momentum they have gained with two convincing victories heading into the semifinals.

India have flexed their muscles in both batting and bowling so far in the tournament, and are likely to continue in the same vein come Tuesday.

If the swashbuckling opening duo of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma fired with the bat in the victory over Pakistan, after the bowlers’ excellent display, skipper Harmanpret Kaur and Richa Ghosh led the show in the middle-order in the hammering of the UAE.

The big-hitting Ghosh, especially, was in destructive mood as she carted 64 in just 29 balls while Kaur compiled 66 in 47 deliveries.

While Kaur played the anchor’s role to perfection, it was Ghosh’s blazing knock which helped India score their first-ever 200-plus total in T20Is.

As far as the Indian bowling is concerned, the likes of Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar and Deepti Sharma have been doing a wonderful job of both containing runs and taking wickets.

Even Tanuja Kanwar, who was roped in as a replacement for injured off-spinner Shreyanka Patil, performed her duty with aplomb, giving away only 14 runs while taking a wicket in her full quota of four overs.

The Indu Barma-led Nepal, which started the tournament with a historic six-wicket victory over the UAE, is well aware of the task.

They will certainly take confidence from their first-ever win in the event but the Himalayan nation will need a lot more than that to even come close to challenging a dominant India.

Teams:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Tanuja Kanwar, Sajana Sajeevan.

Nepal: Indu Barma (C), Kajol Shrestha, Rubina Chettri, Sabnam Rai, Sita Rana Magar, Rajmati Airee, Puja Mahato, Bindu Rawal, Roma Thapa, Mamta Chaudhary, Kabita Joshi, Kabita Kunwar, Dolly Bhatta, Kritika Marasini, Samjhana Khadka.

Match starts at 7 PM IST.

LIVE Updates India vs United Arab Emirates, Womens Asia Cup T20:© X (Twitter)

IND vs PAK Live Streaming Women’s Asia Cup: When And Where To Watch Match© BCCI/Sportzpics

Harmanpree Kaur in© X (Twitter)

The first day of the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup on July 19 will see the big clash between India and Pakistan at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. India come in as the defending champions and have won the tournament seven times.

They also have an 11-3 lead over Pakistan in women’s T20I meetings. On the other hand, Pakistan enter the event after an inconsistent run of results in their bilateral commitments but have the confidence to upstage India, as they did in the 2022 edition of the tournament at Sylhet in Bangladesh.

We look at the players to watch out for in the upcoming big clash between India and Pakistan, which will be streamed live on Disney Hotstar for eager fans in India:

1. Smriti Mandhana

The India vice-captain comes into the tournament on the back of a scintillating performance across formats in the recent home series against South Africa. Scores of 117, 136 and 90 in India’s 3-0 ODI sweep at Bengaluru fetched her Player of the Series Award. It was followed by the left-handed opener making 149 in the lone Test and scores of 46 and 54 not out in the two T20Is at Chennai. With Shafali Verma in good form too, expect Smriti to bat for long and take India to a winning position.

2. Renuka Singh Thakur

The fast-bowler, who won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2022, is tipped to lead the Indian fast-bowling challenge in the Asia Cup. Her excellent performance of 3-18 in the T20I series opener against Bangladesh, along with her previous excellent performances against Australia and England, is still very much fresh in the minds of fans.

3. Deepti Sharma

The off-spin all-rounder boasts of a staggering achievement -– the first Indian woman to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in women’s T20Is. Her ability to control the run flow and deceive batters with flight, turn, and loop will be a major challenge for Pakistan’s middle order. The last time India won the Asia Cup, Deepti had bagged the Player of the Series Award for picking 13 scalps, the most by any bowler in the competition. Deepti’s left-handed batting adds another weapon to her arsenal, making her a truly valuable player in the Indian line-up.

4. Shreyanka Patil

The young all-rounder from Bengaluru is an off-spinner and can maintain tight lines, which also her become the WPL 2024 leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps. Having quickly risen through the domestic ranks, Patil’s potential to pick up crucial wickets, along with her handy batting and fielding skills, makes her a complete package to watch in this high-stakes game.

5. Nida Dar

The Pakistan skipper brings experience and versatility to the bowling attack through her crafty off-spin bowling. This year, Nida became the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is during Pakistan’s second game against England in Northampton. Her sharp off-spin deliveries and power-hitting abilities make her a true all-rounder for Pakistan, something that India has experienced in the past during their last Asia Cup meeting in Sylhet.

6. Sidra Amin

The right-handed batter has been on a good run with the bat this year — she has 205 runs from eight innings for T20Is in Pakistan this year. She and Muneeba Ali have been the lynchpins of Pakistan’s batting order and a lot depends on them when they face a strong Indian bowling line-up.

7. Omaima Sohail

The right-handed top-order batter, who also bowls off-spin, last played for Pakistan on their tour of New Zealand and is now back in the national team for the Asia Cup, where she would be itching to make a big statement against India, after going through the grind in domestic tournaments.

8. Syeda Aroob Shah

The leg-spin all-rounder came back into the national set-up for the first time since Pakistan’s series against South Africa last year. Aroob made her international debut in 2019 as a 15-year-old, quickly garnering attention for her skill and composure on the field. With an ability to deceive batters and provide crucial breakthroughs, she can come in handy if Pakistan field her on Friday against India.

The Women’s Asia Cup is set for a blockbuster start when defending champions India take on arch-foes Pakistan in a prime-time clash here on Friday, with the eight competing teams hoping to firm up their combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup in October. Harmanpreet Kaur’s India are the team to beat going into this iteration of the Asia Cup, having won the competition three out of four times in the T20 version and each of the four times in 50-overs format. Additionally, India are also the most successful team in the Women’s Asia Cup T20 with 17 wins in 20 matches. They beat Bangladesh in the final of the last edition in 2022.

India’s record against Pakistan has also been stellar in the shortest format with 11 wins against three defeats in 14 matches so far and Kaur’s team will lean on it in addition to the rich form shown in recent outings to clinch the Group A clash here.

While India are coming off a 1-1 draw against South Africa earlier this month with the second of the three T20Is being washed out, Pakistan will be short on game-time as well as confidence since their last outing was in England in May when the hosts blanked them 3-0.

Smriti Mandhana’s rich form with the bat will be India’s greatest weapon at the top of the order but the biggest gain from recent all-format outings has been the way their bowling has shaped up, with pacers and spinners putting on a combined show.

India pacer Pooja Vastrakar’s eight wickets across three outings against South Africa indicate her form but additionally, Radha Yadav’s successful return to the mix of spinners has been encouraging. The spin attack also includes Deepti Sharma, Sajeevan Sajana and the sprightly Shreyanka Patil.

Even though Pakistan retained Nida Dar as skipper for the Asia Cup, the squad has undergone significant overhaul since the debacle in England.

Three players, Iram Javed, Omaima Sohail, Syeda Aroob Shah, who have not played any matches so far this year, were included with the uncapped Tasmia Rubab while six others were dropped.

Nepal, UAE look to make their mark

Also placed in Group A are Nepal and the United Arab Emirates who will face off here earlier in the day at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.

The top two teams from the group will play in the semifinals.

While Nepal are returning to the competition for the first time since 2016, UAE are set for their second consecutive appearance and will be high on confidence having won more than half of their matches this year.

The lack of game-time will be a concern for Nepal whose last outing was in mid February when they lost to Malaysia in the Asian Cricket Council’s Women’s Premier Cup.

UAE were last seen in action in May when they lost in the T20 World Cup Qualifier semifinal to Sri Lanka.

Teams:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan Sajana.

Pakistan: Nida Dar (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan.

Match starts at 7pm (IST).

Nepal: Indu Barma (capt), Sita Rana Magar, Rajmati Airee, Rubina Chhetry, Dolly Bhatta, Mamta Chaudhary, Kabita Joshi, Kabita Kunwar, Kritika Marasini, Puja Mahato, Bindu Rawal, Roma Thapa, Sabnam Rai, Samnjana Khadka, Kajal Sreshtha (wk).

UAE: Esha Oza (c), Theertha Satish (wk), Emily Thomas, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Lavanya Keny, Khushi Sharma, Indhuja Nandakumar, Rinitha Rajith, Rishitha Rajith, Vaishnave Mahesh, Suraksha Kotte, Heena Hotchandani, Mehak Thakur, Rithika Rajith.

Match starts at 2pm (IST).

Team India reached Sri Lanka on Wednesday ahead of the Women’s Asia Cup, which starts from Friday onwards. The defending champions, India will kickstart their journey towards a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title when they meet arch-rivals Pakistan at Dambulla on Friday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted a video of the team-members, including Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Varma, Renuka Singh, Shreyanka Patil and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, showing the fun and banter they had throughout their flight from Chennai to Dambulla.

“A journey filled with smiles and banter from Chennai to Dambulla! All set for #WomensAsiaCup2024 #TeamIndia | #ACC,” tweeted BCCI Women.

A journey filled with smiles and banter from Chennai to Dambulla!

All set for #WomensAsiaCup2024#TeamIndia | #ACC pic.twitter.com/FGl3HVCNbW

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) July 17, 2024

The 15-match tournament features full-member teams from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and will be joined by Malaysia, the UAE, Thailand, and Nepal.

Pakistan and India are placed in Group A along with Nepal and the UAE, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will play in the semi-finals on July 26.

The final is set to be played on July 28 in Dambulla.

Leading up to the Women’s Asia Cup, Team India has enjoyed a lot of on-field sucess, like beating South Africa 3-0 in the ODI series and one-off Test recently in June-July and drawing the three-match T20I series 1-1, with one game washed out due to rain.

Before that, India had a successful tour of Bangladesh, beating them 5-0 in T20Is from April-May.

Between December last year and January, India also hosted Australia for a one-off Test, three ODIs and T20Is each, winning the Test match, but losing the ODI series 0-3 and the T20I series 1-2.

All of these series/tournaments will be crucial for India’s preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup being held this year from October 3-20 in Bangladesh, where India will be aiming for its first-ever major ICC women’s trophy.

India’s Women’s Asia Cup squad: India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan. Traveling reserves: Shweta Sehrawat, Saika Ishaque, Tanuja Kanwer, Meghna Singh.

The upcoming Women’s Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, serves as a big chance for India to firmly nail their plans ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October. India come into the competition as the defending champions and apart from eyeing to defend their title, they also have the number three conundrum and got to seal ideal batting position for Jemimah Rodrigues. Jemimah used to be India’s number three batter in T20Is, before a back injury forced her to miss T20I tour of Bangladesh in April-May.

After that, all-rounder Dayalan Hemalatha, armed with a her strong bottom-hand and solid big-hitting skills against spinners, has occupied number three slot.

So who between Jemimah and Hemalatha would become the number three batter for India in the Asia Cup? Anjum Chopra, the former India captain, believes it will be fair if Jemimah is back to batting at one-down.

“What I think is India are looking to identify, what is the best combination, including number three position. Solving will happen when everything is already set. But the way probably it is looking now is the Indian team will play with this particular combination (from Chennai T20Is), which will be tested in the Asia Cup.”

“Jemi can also open, so it becomes nicer if she bats at three. As she is skillful enough to open the batting, that’s why she becomes such an important cog in the wheel. But it’s actually a very difficult situation for her because she then has to prepare to play at all positions,” says Anjum in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Despite being a number three batter for India in T20Is for a long time, Jemimah displayed great adaptability as a number five batter, scoring an unbeaten 53 off 30 balls in the series opener against South Africa at Chennai.

Her ability to play power-packed shots and move across the crease to explore various angles means she adds tons of firepower in the Indian middle-order. “For me, it depends exactly as to what is the start and what is the option. When I say this is its because there is also a number four position, where presently Harman (Harmanpreet Kaur) bats.”

“So, for me to say that Jemimah bats at three or five, it means number four is Harman. Jemimah can bat at both three and five, but who is batting at three is the concern. If India is playing with an all-rounder, then Jemimah can come in at three, but if India is not playing with an all-rounder, then also she can come in at three,” adds Anjum.

Anjum, who played 158 games for India across all formats from 1995 to 2012, personally wishes to see captain Harmanpreet bat at number three, but is unsure if she’s willing to go up from her usual number four position.

“For me personally, I would feel that Harman should walk in at number three. In one of the T20Is recently against South Africa, there was an option. We had a very good start and possibly it was the right time for Harman to walk in at three. But there was somebody else who walked in at three (Hemalatha) and then Harman walked in at four.”

“So, if Harman is batting at three, then obviously Jemimah comes in at four. But if Harman continues to bat at four, because that is a more preferred position by her and probably by the team management too, then I feel it is a difficult one.”

“The partnership between Harman and Jemimah really gives a lot of options to the Indian team. They run well between the wickets and hit lots of boundaries as well. So, it would be nice that either of them bat alongside each other whether at three and four or four and three.”

After the third T20I at Chennai, which India won by ten wickets, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said playing Hemalatha at number three is a calculated move. It potentially means Harmanpreet and Jemimah could remain at four and five respectively, with Smriti the lone left-handed batter in the top order.

Anjum signed off by saying in her view, Hemalatha is not the ideal batter at number three, citing the need of the hour being to put out your best batter out on the field as quickly as possible. “I don’t think the calculations worked right. So they’ll probably have to rework the calculations and understand what is the utility. She’s a very utility player, but where does she bat?”

“Because you have to understand that the kind of T20s that we are now exposed to, it’s possibly trying to get your best batter into the system as early as possible and not try to save them (for later). If Jemi is your best batter, she has to walk out early or at number three. If Harman is a good batter, then she has to obviously walk out early.”

“Then if Richa Ghosh is there, you have to promote her. If you feel that Pooja Vastrakar can take up that finisher role, so that flexibility has to be there. From where I see it, I don’t see Dayalan Hemalatha at three. My thing is when you go playing forward, you have to identify as to what is the best utility of that player in a given scenario.”

“Because we are not competing for 80s and 90s and 120s. The idea is that the Indian team has there in them to get scores in excess of 160, 165, 170. So, if you are putting the runs on the board and chasing, as a team, are we equipped to setting a target in excess of 160 or chasing down a target in excess of 170?”

File image of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana© BCCI