India wins inaugural ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Cup; Kanika, Shreyanka star in 31-run win over Bangladesh in final

Hong Kong, June 21 (ANI): A four-wicket haul by Shreyanka Patil and all-round performance by Kanika Ahuja helped India A women's team defeat Bangladesh A women's side in a low-scoring final of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Women's Emerging Teams Cup in Mong Kok on Wednesday.
It is the inaugural edition of the tournament. India topped the group A with four points with a win and two matches that could not produce a result. India defeated hosts Hong Kong but their matches with Nepal and Pakistan were abandoned due to rain.
India's semifinal with Sri Lanka A was also washed out and India advanced due to a higher standing in their table. Sri Lanka was second in the Group B, with four points, one win and two no-results.
India A women elected to bat first. They posted 127/7 in their 20 overs on the board. The Women's U19 T20 World Cup sensation Shweta Sehrawat, who had ended that tournament as the highest run-getter, could make only 13 runs.
Useful knocks came from Dinesh Vrinda (36 in 29 balls, with five fours and a six), Kanika Ahuja (30* in 23 balls, with four boundaries) and U Chetry (22 in 20 balls, with two fours and a six) that helped the team reach three figures.
Nahida Akter (2/13 in four overs) and Sultana Khatun (2/30 in four overs) were among the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh.
In the chase of 128, the Indian bowlers kept Bangladesh under pressure from ball one. Wickets kept falling for Bangladesh at regular intervals. Nobody could touch the 20-run mark, with Nahida Akter (17* in 22 balls), Sobhana Mostary (16 in 22 balls) and Shathi Rani (13 in 11 balls) putting up double-digit scores. Bangladesh was dismissed for 96 in 19.2 overs.
Shreyanka (4/13 in four overs) was the star for Team India with the ball. Mannat Kashyap also ended with 3/20 in four overs. Kanika took 2/23 in four overs and won the 'Player of the Match' for her all-round show while Titas Sandhu took one wicket.
Shreyanka was given the 'Player of the Tournament' award for nine wickets in two matches, which also included a five-wicket haul. She had the best figures of 5/2 and ended as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. (ANI)