Sri Lanka Clinches Women's T20 Asia Cup Title

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu celebrates years of sacrifice finally paying off as they defeat seven-time champions India to win their first Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup in Dambulla. Key contributions from Kavisha Dilhari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Athapaththu herself propelled Sri Lanka to a historic victory.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu hailed the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice after the team defeated seven-time champions India by eight wickets in Dambulla, capturing their first Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup title. India, who had previously vanquished Sri Lanka in five finals, including four in the 50-over format, set a challenging target of 165-6 after choosing to bat first.

Indian openers were swiftly removed by all-rounder Kavisha Dilhari, who registered figures of 2-36. Sri Lanka's chase was spearheaded by Athapaththu's impressive knock of 61 and a resilient 87-run partnership with player of the match Harshitha Samarawickrama.

Dilhari (30 not out) and Samarawickrama (69 not out) sealed the victory for Sri Lanka with eight balls remaining, achieving a total of 167-2. Athapaththu expressed immense satisfaction in their achievement, highlighting the team's victorious run against formidable opponents over the past year, including England, South Africa, West Indies, and New Zealand.