New Delhi, Sep 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu on Monday congratulated the Indian women’s cricket team on winning the Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time, with both hailing the players as an inspiration for the country’s youth.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final on Sunday to clinch the continental title, with Modi calling the victory a “proud moment” for Indian cricket and praising the team’s confidence, consistency and spirit.
In a post on X, Modi said he hoped the triumph would inspire “millions of youngsters” across the country to take up sport and excel.
President Murmu also congratulated the team, saying the players had made the country proud and were a “great inspiration” for India’s youth, particularly its daughters.
“They played superbly as a team throughout the tournament, winning all the matches,” Murmu said, expressing confidence that the team would script “many more inspiring chapters of success and excellence”.
India dominated the final after posting 183/5, built around a record 129-run opening partnership between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. Shafali struck 68 off 39 balls, including the fastest half-century in the tournament’s history off 24 deliveries, while Mandhana scored 59 off 39.
Sri Lanka were restricted to 111, with Shree Charani claiming four wickets and Deepti Sharma three as India completed a comprehensive 72-run victory.
The triumph also extended India’s dominance over Sri Lanka in Asia Cup finals, marking their sixth victory against the Lankan side in finals across the tournament’s formats.
Brief Scores: India 183/5 (Shafali Verma 68, Smriti Mandhana 59) beat Sri Lanka 111 (Chamari Athapaththu 36; Shree Charani 4/20, Deepti Sharma 3/19) by 72 runs.
