After a mixed start to their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, the Women in Blue will look to bounce back stronger as they face Sri Lanka in Match 12 of the ongoing tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium today. With both teams desperate for points, this fixture promises to be a fierce contest.
India’s campaign began on a disappointing note, suffering a 58-run loss against New Zealand. Chasing a target of 160, the Indian batters faltered, managing only 102 before being bowled out. Sophie Devine (57*), Georgia Plimmer (34), and Suzie Bates (27) were instrumental in setting a challenging target for the Indians, while Renuka Singh was the pick of the bowlers for India with two wickets.
However, the Indian women bounced back in their second match, registering a comfortable six-wicket win against arch-rivals Pakistan. Contributions from Shefali Verma (32), Jemimah Rodrigues (23), and Harmanpreet Kaur (29) guided India’s chase after a solid bowling performance. Arundhati Reddy’s brilliant three-wicket haul earned her the Player of the Match accolade as she kept Pakistan’s batters in check.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have struggled to find their form, losing both of their matches so far—against Pakistan by 31 runs and against Australia by 58 runs. They’ll be eager to turn things around against India and earn their first points of the tournament.
Pitch conditions at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium are expected to play a significant role. Former Pakistan captain Sidra Nawaz, speaking on Cricket Predicta powered by 1XBAT on NewsX, highlighted the challenge for batters on this surface. “Scoring runs on this pitch has been tough. Teams must avoid early collapses in the powerplay and aim for anything above 130 to make the chase difficult,” Nawaz explained. Winning the toss and opting to bat first could be key.
In their head-to-head battles, India has a slight edge over Sri Lanka, having won three out of the five encounters between the two sides. However, Sri Lanka, with two victories, has proven they can be formidable opponents. Chamari Atapattu leads the head-to-head batting charts with 561 runs, while Mithali Raj, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Harmanpreet Kaur have also played pivotal roles in this competitive rivalry.
As both teams take the field today, all eyes will be on whether India can maintain their momentum and secure a vital win, or if Sri Lanka can spring a surprise and get their first points on the board in this year’s World Cup.
