Twitter Reactions: Malaysia no contest for mighty Sri Lanka, suffer 144-run defeat

With a massive 144-run victory under their belt, Sri Lanka have more or less confirmed their berth for the semi-finals of the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup 2024. The Chamari Athapaththu-led side was head and shoulders above the standard of Malaysia cricketers, who struggled massively with the bat and never looked comfortable.

Batting first, the hosts lost the wicket of opener Vishmi Gunaratne early but that didn’t spoil Sri Lanka’s plans. The skipper led by example and smashed 119 runs off 69 deliveries to help the team post 184/4 in the first innings. There was little support from the other end, but that didn’t bother the Lankan Lionesses, who looked flawless at one point. 

Chamari particularly hit 14 boundaries and seven sixes and became the first cricketer in Women’s Asia Cup T20 history to register a century. She carried the show for Sri Lanka with the bat and put immense pressure on Malaysia, who looked clueless with the ball for the majority part of the time.

Also Read: Chamari Athapaththu becomes Women's T20 Asia Cup's first-ever centurion

When it came to the chase, Malaysia were extremely defensive and had no intention to win the game. The Sri Lankan bowlers were all over them and gave no room for Malaysia batters to score. They lost three wickets inside the powerplay, which made it almost impossible to chase a massive total.

Eventually, only of their batters managed to score in double digits as Malaysia were bundled for 40 in 19.5 overs. For Sri Lanka, Shashini Gimhani was exceptional, as she picked up three wickets for nine runs in four overs, while youngsters Kawya Kavindi and Kavisha Dilhari picked up two wickets each.

Also Read: Women's Asia Cup 2024: Match 9, PAK-W vs UAE-W Match Prediction

Sri Lanka have also bettered their NRR in the game, which can come in handy in case they lose to Thailand in their final league game of the campaign. However, the match between Bangladesh and Thailand will give more clarity on the standings. In case, Bangladesh lose that match, the hosts will automatically qualify for the semis.

Here's how X reacted to the Match 7 of Women's Asia Cup between Sri Lanka and Malaysia: