India began their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory, overcoming a mid-innings collapse to defeat Sri Lanka by 59 runs. After being reduced to 124/6, the Indian team faced a precarious situation. However, a resilient 103-run partnership between Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma turned the game around. Amanjot, making her World Cup debut after recovering from an injury, contributed a vital 57 runs. Her selection, given the presence of only one specialist pacer, proved to be a strategic success. Deepti Sharma, with a score of 53, further solidified the innings, taking the score to 269/8. Sneh Rana’s quickfire 28 from 15 balls added a final flourish. Sri Lanka’s chase saw promising starts with Chamari Athapaththu’s 43 and a 52-run stand with Harshitha Samarawickrama. However, India’s bowlers tightened their grip, with Deepti Sharma showcasing her all-round brilliance by taking 3/54. Earlier, Inoka Ranaweera’s impressive spell of 4/46 had caused India’s top-order collapse, silencing the home crowd momentarily. The match highlighted India’s ability to recover from setbacks, demonstrating the team’s depth and resilience under pressure.
