Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, IND vs SL: India Win Toss, Opt To Bat; Check Playing XIs

Dubai: India resurrected their 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan. This win was crucial after their initial 58-run defeat to New Zealand, highlighting the pressure they face in qualifying for the semi-finals; a single further loss could jeopardise their chances. Upcoming challenges loom as they prepare to face defending champions Australia in their final Group A match, making the victory against Sri Lanka even more critical.

Sri Lanka, in contrast, have struggled significantly in the tournament. Despite entering with high hopes after clinching their first Asia Cup title against India, they have suffered defeats in both of their matches in the UAE. Their campaign began with a 31-run loss to Pakistan, followed by a six-wicket defeat to Australia.

India boast a commanding 19-5 head-to-head record against Sri Lanka in T20 matches, maintaining dominance over most Asian teams. The two sides first clashed in this format during the 2009 Women’s T20 World Cup. However, Sri Lanka did manage to claim victory in their last encounter, winning the Women’s Asia Cup final in July by eight wickets, ending India’s reign in the tournament.

The Dubai pitch has been notably slow and low, presenting challenges for batters in stroke-making. Despite the match scheduled for the evening, dew has not significantly impacted the games so far. Both teams’ spinners are expected to thrive on this surface, which has favoured spin bowling, complicating batting efforts.

Playing XIs

India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Sajeevan Sajana, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Thakur Singh

Sri Lanka Women: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu(c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani(w), Ama Kanchana, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera