NEW DELHI: Shafali Verma's explosive 81 off 48 balls propelled India to a formidable total of 178 for 3 against Nepal in their final group match of the Women's Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dambulla, Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
With Harmanpreet Kaur resting and India comfortably atop the group, stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana opted to reshuffle the batting order, providing opportunities to the lower order.
Shafali and Dayalan Hemalatha (47) gave India a blistering start, amassing 122 runs in 14 overs, with the openers scoring 50 in the powerplay itself, reported PTI.
After their dismissals, Jemimah Rodrigues contributed an unbeaten 28 off 15 balls, including three boundaries in the final over, pushing the total close to 180.
Nepal now faces the challenge of achieving the target within 10 overs to surpass Pakistan on net run rate and secure a spot in the semifinals.
Shafali dominated the bowlers, striking 12 fours and a six, while Hemalatha battled through despite some difficulties.
Kabita Joshi (1/36) and Sabnam Rai (0/41) bore the brunt of Shafali's assault, conceding several boundaries. The opener hit her first six off Rubina Chhetry (0/14) in the seventh over and reached her half-century in just 26 balls.
Nepal missed a chance to break the partnership in the 12th over when Indu Barma (0/29) dropped a straightforward catch off Hemalatha at the boundary.
However, Sita Rana Magar (2/25) eventually dismissed Hemalatha for 42 off 42 balls, which included five fours and a six.
Shafali continued her onslaught, hitting two more fours off Barma before Sita Rana ousted her with a tossed-up delivery. Joshi then trapped S Sajana (10), but Rodrigues added a valuable cameo to boost the total.
