Cricket

Bangladesh, the only team besides India to have won the Women's Asia Cup, kicked off their campaign against hosts Sri Lanka in Dambulla. Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana opted to bat first after winning the toss, citing favorable batting conditions."The ball is coming on to the bat nicely, and we want to put a score on the board," Sultana said. "We make this tournament equally important as the T20 World Cup."Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, while not disappointed with the decision to bowl first, acknowledged the good batting surface. "We don't want to take too much pressure, one match at a time," she said.The Dambulla pitch has been conducive to batting in the previous three matches played on it. However, the long square boundaries emphasize the importance of quick running between the wickets.Bangladesh, coming off a 0-5 sweep against India at home, will be eager to break their winless streak in T20Is in 2024. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has enjoyed a successful year in the format, winning nine of their 12 matches, including a 2-1 series victory over South Africa.Sri Lanka's batting lineup has become more balanced, with Vishmi Gunaratne and Kavisha Dilhari emerging as reliable contributors alongside Athapaththu.

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has defended Virat Kohli's poor start to the 2024 T20 World Cup, attributing it to the challenging batting conditions at New York's Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. Kohli has managed only five runs in the tournament so far, raising concerns about his form.Harbhajan emphasized that it would be unfair to judge Kohli's performance on a pitch that was not conducive to batting. "I do not want to judge anyone on that pitch as batting was difficult on that pitch," he said. "Virat Kohli didn't score runs because the conditions were like that. You cannot judge a player in those conditions."Instead, Harbhajan highlighted the need for consistency from the Indian batting unit, particularly in the opening overs. "Runs are obviously expected from Virat Kohli," he said. "We also need to consistently see partnerships that we aren't getting in the first six overs. Then your middle order is set. Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube have scored runs."Yadav and Dube played crucial roles in India's victory against the USA, guiding the team to a win after a shaky start. Kohli will have an opportunity to improve his form in the Super 8 stage, as India moves to Lauderhill, Florida.Despite Kohli's struggles, India has secured a spot in the Super 8, winning all three of their New York games. They are guaranteed to face Australia and Afghanistan in the next round, with Bangladesh likely to be the fourth team in the group.