India head into the continental showpiece with confidence after lifting their eighth T20 Asia Cup in Dubai last week, but the knock-out format leaves them with little margin for error. Eight teams are competing in the women’s event and the competition starts directly with the quarterfinals, meaning there are no group stage matches to provide teams with time to settle into the tournament. One defeat is enough to end a campaign.
Fresh from their record-extending Asia Cup triumph, defending champions India will begin their Asian Games title defence as overwhelming favourites against hosts Japan in the women’s quarterfinals in Nagoya on Friday.
Charani was among India’s standout performers in the Asia Cup and reached the landmark of 50 T20I wickets in only her 30th appearance. The 22-year-old’s ability to control the middle overs could prove important. Shafali Verma will be one of India’s key weapons after an outstanding Asia Cup, where she emerged as the team’s leading batter and finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. Her consistency at the top gave India a strong start in the UAE. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will also be looking for a better outing after an indifferent Asia Cup, with her experience in pressure situations likely to assume greater significance in a tournament where every game is a must-win. India have plenty of bowling resources at their disposal with Nandini Sharma, Renuka Thakur and Kranti Gaud offering pace options. Deepti, Charani, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil, who has recovered from her ankle injury, give the side multiple spin choices.
