Women’s Asia Cup T20: India seal semifinal spot with 82-run win over Nepal

NEW DELHI: Explosive opener Shafali Verma slammed a career-best 48-ball 81 as defending champion India thrashed minnows Nepal by 82 runs in its final group match to confirm its semifinal spot at the Women’s Asia Cup T20 tournament here on Tuesday.

With India shuffling the batting order, Shafali and Dayalan Hemalatha (47) opened the innings and gave India a flying start after stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bat.

The opening duo smashed its way to 122 in 14 overs to lay the foundation.

Jemimah Rodrigues then hit an unbeaten 28 off 15 balls, including three fours in the final over, to take India to a solid 178 for three.

Nepal needed to achieve the target in or under 10 overs to surpass Pakistan on net run rate and qualify for the semifinals but they could only manage 96 for nine in its 20 overs, thanks to some superb bowling from the in-form Indian attack.

Deepti Sharma (3/13) was the most successful bowler for India as she snapped three wickets, while her spin colleague Radha Yadav (2/12) and seamer Arundhati Reddy (2/18), playing in place of a rested Pooja Vastrakar, snapped two each.

Pakistan, thus, became the second team to qualify for the semifinals from group A.

Brief Scores:

India Women: 178 for 3 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 81; Sita Rana Magar 2/25).

Nepal Women: 96 for 9 in 20 overs (Sita Rana Magar 18; Deepti Sharma 3/13). Agencies

Also Read: Women’s T20 Asia Cup: India thrash Pakistan by 7 wickets at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium

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