The 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup group stages is heading towards the finish line, and at the halfway stage, the standings are starting to take shape.
Team India, with one of the strongest squads in the tournament, will face an out-of-form Sri Lanka side in their third group A match on Wednesday, at the Dubai International Stadium.
Fourth on the table
After a 58-run defeat against New Zealand, India got off the mark against Pakistan, winning by six wickets.
However, they sit fourth on the table with two points, mainly because of a negative net run rate (NRR).
Sri Lanka, are at the bottom of Group A having lost both their games so far, firstly to Pakistan and then to Australia.
A chance to avenge the Asia Cup final loss
The last time these two sides met was at the 2024 Asia Cup finals and the Sri Lankans won comfortably by eight wickets, led by a brilliant 61 from skipper Chamari Athapaththu.
India will be looking to avenge that loss by winning tomorrow and they also have to ensure they win by a considerable margin, if that opportunity arises, to boost their net run-rate.
India’s NRR is currently at a negative 1.217, and it is safe to say they scuffed the opportunity to bolster their NRR against Pakistan, chasing 105, due to what can only be described as a ‘safety-first’ approach to batting.
With Australia left to play after the Sri Lankan match, India will undoubtedly want to ensure they go into that game with something to fight for.
Batting still a concern
A big question would be on the batting approach of the Indians.
The Dubai International Stadium is a large ground so the batting strategy should be modified into picking gaps and running hard between wickets rather than trying to go for the big shots.
The pitch is not that easy to bat on as well, and so far any score above 140 is a winning one, given that the bowlers have purchase on the Dubai wicket.
Also, the dew hasn’t played a role so far.
The form of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma is crucial for India, and their start is what gives the team a base to operate from.
With hard-hitting finishers such as Richa Ghosh and Sajana in the lineup, Smriti and Shafali should show more scoring intent, especially in the powerplay.
If Harmanpreet Kaur is unable to play the Sri Lankan match, Smriti’s role becomes even more important, both as a captain and as a batter.
Fingers crossed on Harmanpreet Kaur’s injury
A picture of concern at the end of the Pakistan game was Kaur walking off holding her neck, which appeared to have strained.
Against Pakistan, where every other Indian batter struggled to get going, the skipper played beautifully and scored 29 runs from just 21 balls, and it was evident why her presence is vital for India, especially in the middle overs.
It looks like Kaur will stick to batting at no.4, with Jemimah batting at no.3.
That allows the captain to bat through the innings and ensure she is there for the death overs to see the Indian innings through.
Players to watch out for against Sri Lanka
The two batters Indians would be wary of are skipper Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama.
This duo was responsible for Sri Lanka’s victory in the Asia Cup final, with the latter scoring an unbeaten 69 in the final, stitching an 87-run partnership with her captain.
But given Sri Lanka’s poor form, it is safe to say that India will enter the game as favorites.
With the head-to-head in favour of India (19 wins for India, 5 for Sri Lanka), they should make it two wins.
That said, with Sri Lanka turning the tables on India in the recent Asia Cup final and with India appearing circumspect so far in the tournament, an upset cannot entirely be ruled out.