Top 5 run scorers for India in Women's Asia Cup (T20s) ft. Harmanpreet Kaur
The Women's Asia Cup (T20) is back for its ninth edition. This year, the tournament will be held in Sri Lanka with eight teams, one more than last time.
India, the defending champions, will face rivals Pakistan in the opening match on July 19. The teams are split into two groups: Group A has India, Pakistan, UAE, and Nepal, while Group B has Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia.
This is only the fifth time that the Women's Asia Cup will be played in a T20 format. The final of this edition will be played on July 28.
India beat Bangladesh in the final during the previous edition in 2022 with Jemimah Rodrigues ending as the highest run-getter of the tournament. They will be keen to defend their title.
Ahead of the 2024 edition, here is a look at the five highest run scorers for India in the Women's Asia Cup (T20).
#5 Deepti Sharma (148 runs)
All-rounder and left-handed batter Deepti Sharma is the fifth-highest run-getter for the Indian women's team in the T20 format editions of this tournament.
Deepti has scored a total of 148 runs from nine innings. She scored 94 runs from five innings in the previous edition held in 2022/23. During the 2018 edition, Deepti managed to score 54 runs from four innings.
She is a handy middle-order batter with an ability to provide stability and balance. Deepti will have a key role to play with the bat this time around as well.
#4 Shafali Verma (166 runs)
At the fourth place on this list is the young and dynamic opener Shafali Verma. She possesses the ability to take the attack to the opposition in the powerplay and has come to be known for her power-hitting.
She scored 166 runs from six innings in the last edition, playing a key part in India's triumph. Shafali registered a high score of 55 in the tournament as well. Moreover, she was also the third highest-run getter of the competition.
In the recently concluded series against South Africa Women, she displayed great form with the bat and will hold the key to India's chances in Sri Lanka.
#3 Jemimah Rodrigues (217 runs)
Jemimah Rodrigues is another exceptional talent unearthed by the Indian women's team. She is a vital member of the side for her ability to hold the fort at one end while also changing gears when the situation demands so.
She played a massive role in India winning the Women's Asia Cup in 2022/23. Jemimah amassed 217 runs from six innings in the tournament, with an impressive average of 54.25.
She also ended up as the leading run-scorer of the tournament.
#2 Smriti Mandhana (306 runs)
An elegant left-hander and opener, Smriti Mandhana has the second most runs for India in women's Asia Cup (T20s).
She has played three T20 editions of the tournament for India and has 306 runs to her name. Her best performance came in the previous edition where she scored 134 runs from five innings with an unbeaten half-century.
She scored 90 runs in the 2018 edition and 82 runs in the 2016/17 edition. Smriti is a senior member of the team and with all her experience, she will be expected to get the side off to good starts upfront.
#1 Harmanpreet Kaur (489 runs)
India's skipper for the Women's Asia Cup (T20) 2024, Harmanpreet Kaur has featured in all four editions of the tournament that have been played in the T20 format.
With 489 runs, she leads the chart for the most runs for India in the Women's Asia Cup (T20). Her best showing came in the 2018 edition where she piled on 215 runs from six innings, averaging 53.75, also ending as the leading run-scorer of the tournament.
She was named the Player of the Series but India lost the final to Bangladesh.
Kaur has scored 92 runs (2022/23), 74 runs (2016/17), and 108 runs (2012/13) in other editions. She will be eager to lead from the front as India look to defend their title in 2024.