Indian team reached Sri Lanka on Wednesday for Asia Cup defence

The Indian women's cricket team arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for the Women's Asia Cup, which is set to begin on Friday. As defending champions, India will be aiming for their eighth Asia Cup title when they face arch-rivals Pakistan in Dambulla. The team, including players like Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Varma, Renuka Singh, Shreyanka Patil, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, was seen enjoying themselves on the flight from Chennai to Dambulla, as shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 

The tournament features teams from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka along with Malaysia, the UAE, Thailand, and Nepal. India and Pakistan are in Group A with Nepal and the UAE, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on July 26, with the final scheduled for July 28 in Dambulla.

India has had success leading up to the Women's Asia Cup, including a 3-0 ODI series win against South Africa and a drawn T20I series earlier in the year. They will be looking to continue their winning form in this tournament as they prepare for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.

The squad for the Women's Asia Cup includes players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, and others, with travelling reserves also named for the tournament. India will be aiming to add another trophy to their cabinet as they compete against strong opposition in Sri Lanka.