Sri Lanka and India set for unbeaten showdown in Asia
ThePapareNews article
They enter with the distinction of having won the most titles in the history of the women's tournament.
They have reached the final in all 5 editions held so far, winning the title on 3 occasions: in 2012, 2016 and 2022.
The two sides have met in 31 T20 Internationals, with India winning 25 and Sri Lanka winning 5. One match ended in a no result.
This will be their first T20 meeting since last December. Sri Lanka's tour of India comprised 5 matches, and the visitors suffered a 5-0 series defeat.
Sri Lanka last defeated India in the Asia Cup final held at home in 2024.
As in that final, Chamari Athapaththu will lead Sri Lanka in today's Asia Cup final, while Harmanpreet Kaur will once again captain India.
Sri Lanka will have to contend with the tournament's two leading run-scorers and its leading wicket-taker in this match.
India's Shafali Verma leads the tournament's run-scoring charts. Still only 22, she heads into this match with 168 runs from 4 innings in 4 matches, including two half-centuries.
Smriti Mandhana, the tournament's only centurion so far, goes into the match second on the list with 154 runs. She also holds second place on the all-time T20 International run-scoring list, with 4692 runs in 175 matches, including two centuries and 35 half-centuries.
She has also moved to the top of the all-time Asia Cup run-scoring list, with 633 runs from 23 innings in 28 matches. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu is second with 628 runs from 25 innings in 25 matches.
Harshitha Samarawickrama is Sri Lanka's leading run-scorer in this Asia Cup, sitting fourth on the list with 89 runs from 3 innings in 4 matches. Nilakshika Silva is fifth with 86 runs from 3 innings in 4 matches and is the only Sri Lankan to have scored a half-century.
Further down the top 16, two more Sri Lankans sit above their Indian counterparts: Imesha Dulani (64) and Chamari Athapaththu (63). India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (57) and Pratika Rawal (56) follow them on the list.
India's right-arm off-spinner Deepti Sharma and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu are joint leading wicket-takers in the tournament, with 11 wickets apiece.
Those performances are likely to bring both players greater responsibility and attention in this match. Other bowlers who could challenge the batters include India's left-arm spinner Shree Charani (8), right-arm medium-pacer Nandani Sharma (7) and leg-spinner Prema Rawat (6), along with Sri Lanka's left-arm spinners Sugandika Kumari (6) and Chamudi Prabodha (5), who is still only 17.
Sri Lanka women's team from the previous match
Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Imesha Dulani, Sanjana Kavindi, Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wicketkeeper), Sugandika Kumari, Chamudi Prabodha and Mithali Ayodhya.
Other squad members
Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavya Kavindi, Kavya Kavindi and Chethana Vimukthi.
India women's team from the previous match
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Bharti Fulmali, Prema Rawat, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma.
Other squad members
Gunalan Kamalini, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Radha Yadav
Stay with ThePapare.com for the latest news from the Women's Asia Cup and sporting action at home and abroad.
Based on ThePapare reporting