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A dejected Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that India made “a lot of fumbles” as they suffered an embarrassing defeat to Sri Lanka in the final of the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup on Sunday, July 28. The loss has cast a shadow over India’s preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
India loses Asia Cup final by 8 wickets
India, the seven-time champions, were outclassed in all departments as Sri Lanka lifted their maiden Women’s Asia Cup title. Batting first, India managed a modest 165/6, with Smriti Mandhana top-scoring with 60.
In reply, Sri Lanka chased down the target with ease, losing just two wickets. Harshitha Samarawickrama remained ubeaten on 69, while skipper Chamari Athapaththu made valuable 61 runs.
Also READ: Fans erupt as dominant Sri Lanka thrashes India to win their maiden Women’s Asia Cup 2024 title
India captain Harmpreet Kaur addresses the reason of defeat
“We are looking to improve in some areas. We will definitely work hard and remember this day. They have played such good cricket for so long and they played good cricket throughout this tournament,” Harmanpreet said in the post-match presentation. The Indian captain pointed to her team’s bowling as a major area of concern.
“We played good cricket throughout the tournament and, no doubt, we made a lot of fumbles today and that cost us.
“It was a decent total, we were looking for breakthroughs in the powerplay but it didn’t go according to plan and Sri Lanka batted really well,” she added.
The defeat marks a significant setback for India, who will now have to regroup quickly and address the issues that led to their downfall in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final.
Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu hails her team’s performance
“I am really happy about our team performance, especially the batting performances,” said the winning captain, Athapaththu.
“We have played really good cricket in the last 12 months and we want to continue it. Never saw such a crowd, so special thanks go to the Sri Lankan people who came out to watch the game.
“This win is good not only for the team but the whole Sri Lanka because we have to inspire the next generation,” she added.
