A World Cup win isn’t exceptionally far now, India star all-rounder Deepti Sharma said after the team’s record-extending seventh Women’s Asia Cup title win on Saturday while India has now won all the editions of the Asia Cup excepting the last time in 2018 when they lost to Bangladesh.
A World Cup win isn’t exceptionally far now, India star all-rounder Deepti Sharma said after the team’s record-extending seventh Women’s Asia Cup title win on Saturday.
Barring a deviation against Pakistan that came courtesy of some strange preparations and trials, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side ruled the roost in the continental T20 tournament.
The final against Sri Lanka turned out to be a one-sided affair as they restricted the islanders to a below-par 65/9 on the way to an eight-wicket triumph.
“As a team, we did well right from the first match till the final. Obviously, it gives you confidence when you win the final,”
Deepti, who was adjudged Player of the Tournament, said at the post-match media interaction.
“As a team, we have done well and backed each other which are good. Throughout the tournament, we wanted to enjoy every game.”
India has now won all the editions of the Asia Cup except the last time in 2018 when they lost to Bangladesh. However, the ‘Women in Blue’, are yet to taste success at the world level.
They have lost the ODI World Cup finals two times (2005 and 2017), while in the last edition of the T20I World Cup in 2020, India finished runners-up to Australia.
“If we work like this as a bowling and batting unit, the World Cup is also not very far. This will be the mindset whenever we next play a final. Definitely, this Asia Cup triumph will help a lot, the winning moment gives you confidence for the upcoming series,”
Deepti added.
“Our focus was always to do well, rather than just winning and it was about taking one game at a time,”
she said about their approach in the Asia Cup.
“As a bowling unit, we planned to back our strengths and focus on our skills. We bowled in partnerships that put them under pressure and they threw their wickets away.
“They (Sri Lanka) did well in the semis and we didn’t take them lightly. But that’s the way the sport is, one team wins, and another loses. They have done well throughout the tournament. Maybe it was not their day today,”
she concluded.