ICC Women T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka not easy team to beat, admits Shafali

Sri Lanka won’t be mere pushovers, especially after their victory against India in the Asia Cup final, said India opener Shafali Verma. The 20-year-old added that the islanders are no longer solely dependent on their talismanic skipper Chamari Athapaththu.

India will meet Sri Lanka in their must-win penultimate group game of the women’s T20 World Cup on Wednesday. The Indian team not only need to win but also boost its net run rate (NRR) before the do-or-die game against defending champions Australia on October 13.

“There was a time when Chamari was the one scoring most of the runs and taking wickets, but in the Asia Cup her entire team performed well. They’ve improved a lot, which is why they won the cup,” Shafali, who managed a sedate 32 off 35 balls against Pakistan on Sunday, said.

Pacer Renuka Singh Thakur is eyeing the prized wicket of Athapaththu, adding that the Sri Lankan skipper can take the game away in a flash with her audacious strokeplay.

“Chamari Athapaththu is very interesting. She’s the only one from Sri Lanka who takes the team to the other side. I try to get her out as soon as possible because if she is set she can take over the match. So I have a plan on how to get her out,” Renuka said.