Shreyanka Patil stars with a five-wicket haul as India ‘A’ clinch a thumping win in Women’s Emerging Asia Cup

Shreyanka Patil led the way for the India ‘A’ women’s team as the Shweta Sehrawat-led side pocketed a massive 9-wicket win over Hong Kong in their opening encounter of the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup. 

Sehrawat won the coin toss and put Hong Kong into bat, and the hosts had no answers to Shreyanka’s mixed bag of tricks as the talented spinner ran through the batting unit, picking up five wickets from just three overs, figures that also included a maiden over. 

Shreyanka began her first over with a wicket on the first ball, pegging back Marina Lamplough’s stumps and even ended it in style, without conceding a run. The exciting youngster almost had a hat-trick in her second over as she had Hong Kong’s top-scorer Mariko Hill caught on the first ball and followed it up by removing Maryam Bibi in the next delivery. barrelling through her defences. 

Although she missed out on the hat trick, Shreyanka pocketed her fourth scalp of the day only three balls later with a delivery that had Betty Chan caught plumb in front for a duck. 

Continuing her pattern of picking up a wicket on the first ball of every over, Shreyanka etched her name in the history books with her fifth wicket, a ball that headed straight for Ruchira Venkatesh’s timber. With Shreyanka (5/2), Mannat Kashyap (2/2), Parshavi Chopra (2/12) and Titas Sadhu (1/3) all at their best and wickets falling in a heap, Hong Kong were eventually bowled out for just 34. 

Needing to chase 35 to win from 20 overs, the Indian batters overcame Sehrawat’s early dismissal as Uma Chetry (16*) and Trisha Gongadi (19*) ensured India faced no more hurdles, and the visitors romped home to the target in just 5.2 overs with nine wickets to spare. 

After a massive win over Hong Kong, India will next face off against Nepal on June 15th for their second match of the campaign.