Indian Women’s Cricket Team Prays at Temple Before T20I Clash

The Indian women’s cricket team visited the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Visakhapatnam on December 18, 2023, ahead of their second T20I match against Sri Lanka. This visit is part of the team’s preparations for the five-match series against their neighbouring country.

Prominent players, including Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Renuka Singh, and Shafali Verma, participated in the temple visit, which included a traditional reception by temple officials. The team was welcomed by Tirumaleswara Rao, the Assistant Executive Officer, and K Venkateswara Rao, the Supervising Officer, who greeted them with customary honours.

During their time at the temple, the players offered prayers to the presiding deity and engaged in special rituals within the sanctum sanctorum. They also embraced the sacred Kappasthambham, a significant structure within the temple premises. Following the darshan, Vedic scholars performed blessings for the players, who were later presented with sacred silk garments and prasadam by temple authorities.

The players expressed their hopes for continued success for India and sought divine blessings for their upcoming matches. The Indian women’s team will face Sri Lanka Women at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 22, 2023.

In their opening match of the series, India secured a convincing victory against Sri Lanka, winning by eight wickets. Jemimah Rodrigues was instrumental in this win, scoring an impressive 69 runs off just 44 balls while chasing a target of 122 runs. India completed the chase in a swift 14.4 overs.

Rodrigues’ performance not only showcased her talent but also equalled Mithali Raj’s record of four T20I scores of 50 or more against Sri Lanka. She formed a crucial 54-run partnership with Smriti Mandhana for the second wicket and later shared an unbeaten 55-run stand with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who finished not out on 15.

In terms of bowling, Deepti Sharma led the attack with economical figures of 1/20, while Kranti Gaud and Shree Charani also contributed with one wicket each. The Sri Lankan team managed to score 121 runs for the loss of six wickets, with Vishmi Gunaratne top-scoring at 39 runs.

As the series progresses, the Indian team looks to build on their momentum from the first match and continue their winning streak, with aspirations of further success on their home turf.