Smriti Mandhana leads India in the Women's Asia Cup 2024 match against Nepal, as captain Harmanpreet Kaur rested. India's ace pacer Pooja Vastrakar is also rested. Smriti won the toss and opted to bat first, with S Sajana and Arundhati Reddy being the new names. India clinched an easy win against UAE during the last match, bringing them one step ahead in the semi-final.
India's progress to the semis is confirmed due to their healthy net run rate. India's clinical victories against Pakistan and the UAE have allowed them to avoid putting pressure on their side. They have one game against Nepal, aiming to get through the undefeated. Nepal needs a win to boost their NRR and finish in the top two, having a comfortable win against UAE.
Smriti informed the broadcasters that, "We would like to bat first today. In the last few years, T20 cricket has changed. It is a collective effort, we have looked to tale on whatever is in our range. The outfields are quick, the tracks are flat, and sometimes even 200 is not enough. We will look to trust our process and look to bat. 180 will be great. It's about playing one ball at a time. Harmanpreet and Pooja are resting."
India Women (Playing XI):
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana(c), Dayalan Hemalatha, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, S Sajana, Radha Yadav, Tanuja Kanwar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Arundhati Reddy
