Ahead of the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, India will play two warm-up matches against West Indies and South Africa in Dubai on September 29 and October 1 respectively, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday. ICC released the schedule for the 10 warm-up matches to be from September 28 to October 1 in the United Arab Emirates before the start of the showpiece event. All 10 teams that have qualified for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will participate in the practice games, with every side playing two warm-up games each.

The warm-up fixtures will start on September 28 with Pakistan taking on Scotland and Sri Lanka facing Bangladesh. Defending champions Australia will feature in a clash against arch-rivals England the following day, while India take on 2016 edition champions West Indies on the same day.

These warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not have international T20 status, allowing teams to field all members of their 15-player squad. No two sides who belong to the same group will take on each other in the warm-up round.

In the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, Group A comprises defending champions Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Group B has England, South Africa, West Indies, Scotland and Bangladesh.

Warm-up fixture schedule:

28 September, Saturday, Pakistan v Scotland, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

28 September, Saturday, Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, ICCA1, Dubai, 6 PM

29 September, Sunday, New Zealand v South Africa, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

29 September, Sunday, India v West Indies, ICCA2, Dubai, 6 PM

29 September, Sunday, Australia v England, ICCA1, Dubai, 6 PM

30 September, Monday, Sri Lanka v Scotland, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

30 September, Monday, Bangladesh v Pakistan, ICCA2, Dubai, 6 PM

1 October, Tuesday, West Indies v Australia, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

1 October, Tuesday, England v New Zealand, ICCA2, Dubai, 6 PM

1 October, Tuesday, South Africa v India, ICCA1, Dubai, 6 PM

File image of Deepti Sharma.© X (Twitter)

India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup Final, Live Streaming: India to face Sri Lanka in the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 on Sunday in Dambulla. Both the teams are yet to face a defeat in the ongoing tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur and co thrashed Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the semi-finals and entered the summit clash. On the other hand, hosts Sri Lanka edged past Pakistan. It will be a crucial game as Team India eyes eighth title.

When will the India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match be played?

The India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match will be played on Sunday, July 28.

Where will the India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match be played?

The India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match will be played at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla.

What time will the India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match start?

The India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match will start at 3:00 PM IST.

Which TV channels will telecast the India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match?

The India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match?

The India vs Sri Lanka, Women’s Asia Cup 2024, final match will be streamed live on Hotstar.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

India all-rounder Deepti Sharma© X (Twitter)

Explosive opener Shafali Verma slammed a career-best 48-ball 81 as defending champions India thrashed minnows Nepal by 82 runs in their final group match to confirm their semifinal spot at the Women’s Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dambulla on Tuesday. With India shuffling the batting order, Shafali and Dayalan Hemalatha (47) opened the innings and gave India a flying start after stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bat. The opening duo smashed its way to 122 in 14 overs to lay the foundation.

Jemimah Rodrigues then hit unbeaten 28 off 15 balls, including three fours in the final over, to take India to a solid 178 for three.

Nepal needed to achieve the target in or under 10 overs to surpass Pakistan on net run rate and qualify for the semifinals but they could only manage 96 for nine in their 20 overs, thanks to some superb bowling from the in-form Indian attack.

Deepti Sharma (3/13) was the most successful bowler for India as she snapped three wickets, while her spin colleague Radha Yadav (2/12) and seamer Arundhati Reddy (2/18), playing in place of a rested Pooja Vastrakar, snapped two each.

Pakistan, thus, became the second team to qualify for the semifinals from group A.

It proved to be a tough chase for Nepal as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals to slip to 52 for 4 in 10.2 overs with seamer Arundhati cleaning up both the openers — Samjhana Khadka (7) and Sita Rana Magar (18).

Renuka Singh (1/15) then dismissed Kabita Kunwar (6), while Radha removed Indu Barma (14).

Deepti then got into the act, getting rid of Rubina Chhetry (15) and Kabita Joshi (0) and then removed Puja Mahato (2) with a direct throw.

Dolly Bhatta (5) became the second victim of Radha, while a caught and bowl effort helped Deepti dismiss Kajal Shrestha (3) to claim her third wicket.

Earlier, Shafali literally toyed with the bowlers, using her flicks to good use as 12 fours and a maximum flew from her blade.

Hemalatha struggled a bit but chugged along with her experienced partner as the Nepalese bowlers toiled in vain.

The openers racked up 50 in the powerplay and continued to make the bowlers pay.

Shafali was particularly harsh on medium pacer Kabita Joshi (1/36), smashing her for five boundaries, while off-spinner Sabnam Rai (0/41) too was sent across the line a couple of times.

The dashing opener smacked spinner Rubina Chhetry (0/14) over deep mid-wicket for her first six in the seventh over before picking up another four with a slog-sweep. She completed her fifty in 26 balls in the eighth over.

Hemalatha, who was finding it difficult to get the middle of the bat, then clobbered Joshi for a straight six as India reached 91 for no loss at the halfway stage.

Nepal had an opportunity to break the stand in the 12th over by left-arm spinner Sita Rana Magar (2/25) but seamer Indu Barma (0/29) spilled a regulation catch off Hemalatha at the boundary line.

The batter, however, was caught by Rubina after a bit of a juggle off the same bowler as India lost their first wicket with the team at 122 in 14 overs.

Hemalatha struck five fours and a six in her 42-ball innings.

Shafali continued to punish the bowlers, slamming two more fours off Barma but Sita Rana finally got rid of the opener with a tossed up delivery as the keeper did the rest.

Joshi then trapped S Sajana (10) but Rodrigues swelled the innings with a little cameo.

India vs Nepal, Women’s Asia Cup T20 LIVE Updates© X (Twitter)

Contenders India started their Women’s T20 Asia Cup title defence on a rousing note, demolishing arch-foes Pakistan by seven wickets in Dambulla on Friday. India bundled out Pakistan for a below-par 108 after being asked to bowl and then chased down the target with as many as 35 balls remaining. Chasing 109, Indian openers Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (45) was at their best as they toyed with the Pakistani attack from the word go. It was an aggressive display of batting from both the Indian openers as they mostly dealt in fours and sixes.

The duo of Mandhana and Shafali hit two fours and a six off Tuba Hassan to collect 15 runs in the sixth over.

The seventh over bowled by Hassan yielded 21 runs with Mandhana hitting the bowler for five boundaries.

Pakistan finally tasted success in the 10th over in the form of Mandhana who was caught by Aliya Riaz at mid-wicket off the bowling of Syeda Aroob Shah.

Shafali departed in the 12th over, but by then, she and Mandhana had already done the damage.

Dayalan Hemalatha (14) didn’t last long, caught by Hassan off Nashra Sandhu.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues then ensured a comfortable win for the title holders.

Earlier, India dished out a fine effort led by experienced off-spinner Deepti Sharma (3/20).

India, after being asked to bowl first, tasted their first success in the second over itself when pacer Pooja Vastrakar (2/31) dismissed Gull Feroza, caught by skipper Harmanpreet at mid-on.

Vastrakar struck again, dismissing the other Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali with a short-pitched delivery, caught by Rodrigues at cover, reducing Pakistan to 26 for 2 after the fourth over.

The Indians didn’t allow Pakistani batters to settle down as off-spinner Shyreyanka Patil (2/14) packed off Riaz, caught by Rodrigues at mid-wicket.

The Pakistani batters struggled to score runs, let alone build partnerships as Indian bowlers continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals to derail their opponents.

The next to depart was Pakistan skipper Nida Dar who holed out to Hemalatha at long-on off the bowling of Deepti as the batter went for her customary heave over the straight boundary.

It was raining wickets for India as pacer Renuka Singh (2/14) struck twice in the last two deliveries of her spell.

Renuka first accounted for Sidra Amin (25) and then trapped Iram Javed leg before in the next ball to reduce Pakistan to 61 for 6 in 13 overs.

Thereafter Tuba Hassan (22) and Fatima Sana (22 not out) stitched together a valuable 31-run stand for the seventh wicket to take Pakistan forward.

But their partnership came to an end in the 18th over when Hassan was caught by Radha Yadav at backward point off Deepti.

The 18th over bowled by Deepti saw three dismissals — Hassan, Syeda Aroob Shah and Nashra Sandhu.

While Hassan and Sandhu fell to Deepti, Shah was run out, denying the India spinner a hat-trick.

Sana hammered left-arm spinner Radha for two sixes in the 19th over to take Pakistan over the 100-run mark.

IND vs PAK Live Streaming Women’s Asia Cup: When And Where To Watch Match© BCCI/Sportzpics

The first day of the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup on July 19 will see the big clash between India and Pakistan at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. India come in as the defending champions and have won the tournament seven times.

They also have an 11-3 lead over Pakistan in women’s T20I meetings. On the other hand, Pakistan enter the event after an inconsistent run of results in their bilateral commitments but have the confidence to upstage India, as they did in the 2022 edition of the tournament at Sylhet in Bangladesh.

We look at the players to watch out for in the upcoming big clash between India and Pakistan, which will be streamed live on Disney Hotstar for eager fans in India:

1. Smriti Mandhana

The India vice-captain comes into the tournament on the back of a scintillating performance across formats in the recent home series against South Africa. Scores of 117, 136 and 90 in India’s 3-0 ODI sweep at Bengaluru fetched her Player of the Series Award. It was followed by the left-handed opener making 149 in the lone Test and scores of 46 and 54 not out in the two T20Is at Chennai. With Shafali Verma in good form too, expect Smriti to bat for long and take India to a winning position.

2. Renuka Singh Thakur

The fast-bowler, who won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2022, is tipped to lead the Indian fast-bowling challenge in the Asia Cup. Her excellent performance of 3-18 in the T20I series opener against Bangladesh, along with her previous excellent performances against Australia and England, is still very much fresh in the minds of fans.

3. Deepti Sharma

The off-spin all-rounder boasts of a staggering achievement -– the first Indian woman to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in women’s T20Is. Her ability to control the run flow and deceive batters with flight, turn, and loop will be a major challenge for Pakistan’s middle order. The last time India won the Asia Cup, Deepti had bagged the Player of the Series Award for picking 13 scalps, the most by any bowler in the competition. Deepti’s left-handed batting adds another weapon to her arsenal, making her a truly valuable player in the Indian line-up.

4. Shreyanka Patil

The young all-rounder from Bengaluru is an off-spinner and can maintain tight lines, which also her become the WPL 2024 leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps. Having quickly risen through the domestic ranks, Patil’s potential to pick up crucial wickets, along with her handy batting and fielding skills, makes her a complete package to watch in this high-stakes game.

5. Nida Dar

The Pakistan skipper brings experience and versatility to the bowling attack through her crafty off-spin bowling. This year, Nida became the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is during Pakistan’s second game against England in Northampton. Her sharp off-spin deliveries and power-hitting abilities make her a true all-rounder for Pakistan, something that India has experienced in the past during their last Asia Cup meeting in Sylhet.

6. Sidra Amin

The right-handed batter has been on a good run with the bat this year — she has 205 runs from eight innings for T20Is in Pakistan this year. She and Muneeba Ali have been the lynchpins of Pakistan’s batting order and a lot depends on them when they face a strong Indian bowling line-up.

7. Omaima Sohail

The right-handed top-order batter, who also bowls off-spin, last played for Pakistan on their tour of New Zealand and is now back in the national team for the Asia Cup, where she would be itching to make a big statement against India, after going through the grind in domestic tournaments.

8. Syeda Aroob Shah

The leg-spin all-rounder came back into the national set-up for the first time since Pakistan’s series against South Africa last year. Aroob made her international debut in 2019 as a 15-year-old, quickly garnering attention for her skill and composure on the field. With an ability to deceive batters and provide crucial breakthroughs, she can come in handy if Pakistan field her on Friday against India.