India’s women’s cricket team is riding high after a thrilling 97-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final of a triangular series. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur is beaming with pride over her team’s dominant display, “The entire team played fantastic cricket, and I’m really proud of them.”
The win was largely fueled by Smriti Mandhana’s blistering 116 off 101 balls, which helped India post a mammoth 342/7. The hosts were then bundled out for 245 in 48.2 overs, thanks to some standout performances from Sneha Rana (4-38) and Amanjot Kaur (3-54).
A Winning Formula
Harmanpreet praised her team’s all-around effort, “We batted well, and I’m really happy with that. Of course, there’s always room for improvement in areas like fielding, bowling, and building partnerships.” She added, “But the way our other batsmen performed apart from Smriti and me was a big positive. Sneha Rana’s bowling was also a huge plus.”
The win is a welcome boost ahead of India’s tour to England in June-July. Harmanpreet is aware that injury concerns have plagued their pace bowling unit, “We’ve been struggling with injuries to our medium-pace bowlers, so we need to work on that.” Still, she’s focused on the positives, “There are a lot of positive takeaways, but for now, we just want to enjoy this moment.”
Stars of the Show
Smriti Mandhana was named Player of the Match for her 11th ODI century. She credited Sri Lanka’s inconsistent line and length for her big score, “Mostly, we plan our innings based on the situation. At first, they were disciplined, but later we found ways to score.” Mandhana also praised the batting conditions, “All the wickets were good for batting – not so much for bowling, but our bowlers did a great job.”
Sneha Rana was named Player of the Tournament after claiming 15 wickets in just four matches. It was her first 50-over series for India since 2023, and she was thrilled to make an impact, “I’m grateful to have contributed after so many months. I worked hard, and it feels great.”
Here are some key stats from the match:
- India won by 97 runs
- Smriti Mandhana scored 116 off 101 balls
- Sneha Rana took 4-38
- Amanjot Kaur took 3-54
- Sri Lanka were bundled out for 245 in 48.2 overs