Tigresses suffer crushing defeat to India in semis

Bangladesh national women's team displayed a frustrating performance both with the bat and ball to suffer a 10-wicket defeat to India in the first semifinal of the Women's T20 Asia Cup at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Friday.

Opting to bat first, Bangladesh lost their top three batters within the powerplay after India pacer Renuka Singh (3-10) bowled a sensational spell to reduce their opponents to 21-3 within five overs.

Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty tried her best to keep the scoreboard ticking but wickets kept falling from the other end while a huge number of dot balls kept the pressure mounting on the Tigresses.

Joty made 32 off 51 balls while Shorna Akter, who came to bat at number eight, scored an unbeaten 19 off 18 balls but it could only help the Bangladeshi side post 80-8 in 20 overs.

Apart from Renuka, left-arm spinner Radha Yadav took three wickets for the Indian side.

Chasing a below-par total, India openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma completed the task with ease as they made 55 and 26 runs respectively to power India to 83-0 in just 11 overs to qualify for the final for a record ninth time in nine editions.

Mandhana struck three successive boundaries of Nahida Akter's bowling not only to complete her 25th WT20I fifty but also give her side a comprehensive victory over Bangladesh, whom they recently whitewashed in a five-match T20 series in Sylhet.

India will now play the final against the winners of the second semifinal between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, scheduled at the same venue later on the day.