Shafali’s 64 and Deepti’s Three Wickets Send India Into Women’s Asia Cup Final
Shafali Verma’s aggressive 64 and Deepti Sharma’s three-wicket spell carried India into their 10th Women’s Asia Cup final after a 40-run semifinal victory over Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday.
India recovered from an uneven batting display to post 149 for six in 20 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Bangladesh never found enough momentum in the chase and finished on 109 for seven.
The result extends India’s remarkable record in the tournament. The team had reached the final in each of the previous nine editions, winning seven titles and finishing runners-up in 2018 and 2024.
Shafali provides the spark
India were asked to bat first and found conditions difficult for much of the innings. The Dubai surface offered assistance to the bowlers, making clean strokeplay harder than the scorecard might suggest.
Shafali, however, attacked from the outset.
The opener made 64 from 40 deliveries, providing the innings with the acceleration India needed. Her innings included three sixes and helped India move beyond what had looked like a modest total on a challenging surface.
Bangladesh also missed opportunities in the field, with Shafali surviving multiple dropped chances during her stay at the crease. India took advantage of those errors rather than allowing Bangladesh to build pressure through the middle overs.
Pratika Rawal added 20, while Richa Ghosh contributed 21. Harmanpreet Kaur finished unbeaten on 24 as India reached 149 for six.
It was not a dominant batting performance from India across the board. But Shafali’s innings gave the side a platform, and the late contributions ensured Bangladesh had a competitive target to chase.
Deepti turns the chase India’s way
Bangladesh needed a strong start but struggled to build partnerships against India’s bowling attack.
Deepti Sharma was central to the defence, finishing with three wickets for 26 runs from her four overs. Nandani Sharma also claimed two wickets as India steadily reduced Bangladesh’s scoring options.
Shorna Akter top-scored for Bangladesh with 22 from 18 balls, while Dilara Akter made 21. The rest of the batting order could not produce the sustained partnership required to keep the chase alive.
Bangladesh eventually closed on 109 for seven, leaving India 40 runs clear.
The victory also continued India’s strong campaign in the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side had topped Group A with three wins from three matches before meeting Bangladesh in the semifinal. India had earlier defeated Thailand, Hong Kong and Pakistan in the group stage.
A familiar position for India
India’s place in the final comes with a significant piece of tournament history.
Before this year’s competition, India had appeared in all nine previous Women’s Asia Cup finals. They won the first six editions from 2004 through 2016, lost the 2018 final to Bangladesh, won the 2022 tournament and were beaten by Sri Lanka in the 2024 final.
That makes the 2026 final India’s 10th appearance in the title match.
The current campaign has also featured strong individual contributions. Shafali entered the semifinal after scoring 104 runs in India’s first three matches, according to the ICC. Her 64 against Bangladesh now gives her 168 runs in four innings in the tournament, according to post-match statistics reported in India.
Deepti has been equally influential with the ball. Her three wickets against Bangladesh took her tournament tally to 11, making her one of the leading wicket-takers in the competition.
Final opponent still to be decided
India will now wait for the second semifinal between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, scheduled for September 11 in Dubai.
The winner will meet India in the final on September 13. The match is scheduled to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
For India, the immediate task is clear: recover from the semifinal, assess the opposition and prepare for another final.
The team has already secured a place in the title match. Whether it can reclaim the trophy it lost to Sri Lanka in 2024 will be decided on Sunday.
