Dubai, Sep 12 (IANS) India’s bid for an eighth Women’s T20 Asia Cup title will face a stern examination from Sri Lanka when the two unbeaten sides meet in Sunday’s final at the Dubai International Stadium.

India's standout performers throughout the tournament have been Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma. Shafali has scored 168 runs and tops the rankings, with two fifties demonstrating her consistent performance at the top of the order. Her resilience in difficult batting conditions has been especially important for India.

Mandhana’s 154 runs include a century, but her two low scores mean India will be keen for greater consistency from their batting group in the final. The middle order has produced starts without regularly converting them into major scores, while the team’s boundary-hitting has also lacked consistency.

Deepti, meanwhile, has provided India with control and breakthroughs. Her 11 wickets make her the joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu. She has contributed with the bat too, scoring 13 off six deliveries in the semifinal against Bangladesh to help India finish strongly.

Sri Lanka will take heart from their semifinal fightback against Pakistan. Four wickets down for 33 while chasing 131, they could easily have lost their way. Instead, Harshitha Samarawickrama’s 36 and Kavisha Dilhari’s 33 rebuilt the innings before Nilakshika Silva and Kaushini Nuthyangana completed the chase.

That resilience could be vital against India, especially given Sri Lanka’s recent history in this fixture. Athapaththu and Harshitha were instrumental in the 2024 final, where Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets after both batters made half-centuries.

India, however, will know that they have another area to fix before the title clash: their fielding. Nine catches have been dropped across their four matches — two against Thailand, three against Pakistan and four in the semifinal against Bangladesh.

Against a Sri Lankan team that has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to recover from difficult positions, another lapse could prove costly.

The final therefore brings together India’s tournament-leading batting and spin resources with a Sri Lankan side whose greatest strength has been its refusal to surrender under pressure.

When: Sunday, September 13, 8:00 PM IST

Where: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai

Where to watch: The match will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network, with live-streaming available on the Sony LIV app and website.

Squads:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), Gunalan Kamalini (wk), Pratika Rawal, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani, Radha Yadav

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Harshitha Samarawickrama (vc), Imesha Dulani, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Sanjana Kavindi, Hasini Perera, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Mithali Ayodhya, Kawya Kavindi, Sugandika Kumari, Nimasha Meepage, Chamudi Praboda, Chethana Vimukhti

--IANS

vi/