India opened their Women’s Asia Cup campaign with a stunning 7-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Dambulla on Friday. India defeated Pakistan for a sub-par 108 after being asked to bowl and then chased down the target with 35 balls to go.

After the match, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana won a million hearts with her heartwarming gesture when she gifted a mobile phone to a girl in a wheelchair.

Adeesha Herath, who had come to the stadium in a wheelchair with her mother, was pleasantly surprised when Mandhana picked her up and handed her a phone.

“Adeesha Herath’s love for cricket took her to the stadium despite all the challenges. The highlight of her day? A surprise meeting with her favourite cricketer, Smriti Mandhana, who gifted her a mobile phone as a token of appreciation,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a tweet.

In the video posted with the tweet, Mandhana can be heard asking the girl her name.

“You love cricket, that’s nice. You enjoyed today’s match. I brought you a gift from all of us,” Mandhana told the girl, before giving her a high-five and posing for a photo.

The girl’s mother said it was an unexpected gift.

“We came unexpectedly to watch the match as my daughter wanted to go to the match. We met Mandhana madam from the Indian team and my daughter got a phone from her. It was unexpected and my daughter is so happy to receive this gift from her,” she said.

India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets in their opening match on Friday. Pakistan opted to bat first and were bowled out for 108, with veteran spinner Deepti Sharma (3/20) emerging as the most successful bowler. Renuka Singh (2/14) and Pooja Vastrakar (2/31) also chipped in with wickets at a crucial juncture to keep Pakistan on a tight leash throughout their innings.

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In reply, India completed the chase in 14.1 overs with the opening duo of Smriti Mandhana (45) and Shafali Verma (40) scoring 85 runs in 9.1 overs.

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(With PTI inputs)

In reply, India completed the chase in 14.1 overs with the opening duo of Smriti Mandhana (45) and Shafali Verma (40) scoring 85 runs in 9.1 overs.