Kabita kumwar

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium: Opener Shafali Verma's scintillating half-century (81 off 47 balls) coupled with Dayalan Hemalatha's 47 powered India to 178/3 against Nepal in the Group A match of the Women's Asia Cup at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium here on Tuesday.

Stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana opted to bat first after winning the toss as India rested regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar for the match.

Shafali and Hemalatha showed no mercy from the beginning of the match. The 20-year-old made her intentions clear in the first over by hitting two fours against Kabita Kumwar's first over. She continued the onslaught from the one end while Hemalatha held the other end strong.