India cemented their status as a powerhouse in women’s cricket by clinching their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title in Dubai, defeating a struggling Sri Lankan side by 72 runs. The victory marked the conclusion of an unbeaten campaign for the Indian squad, who now hold the record for the most tournament wins in history.
Opting to bat first, India posted a formidable total of 183/5, anchored by explosive batting performances from openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. The duo began with a measured approach before dismantling the Sri Lankan bowling attack. Shafali was particularly destructive, reaching her fifty in just 24 balls—the fastest half-century in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup. This mark surpassed the previous record of 25 balls, set by Smriti Mandhana in the 2022 Asia Cup final against the same opponent. With this achievement, India currently holds the top five fastest fifties in the format, with three of those innings belonging to Shafali.
The Indian openers put on a display of clinical aggression, piling up runs steadily before the acceleration occurred in the fifth over, where Shafali struck two sixes and a boundary to collect 20 runs. By the end of the powerplay, India stood at 57/0. Following the powerplay, the pair continued to punish the bowlers, accumulating 64 runs over the next six overs, while Mandhana also found her rhythm, notably hitting Chamudi Praboda for a six to help take 13 runs off that over. By the halfway stage, India was cruising at 98/0.
In response, Sri Lanka’s chase never gained momentum. The team lost their opening wicket with just four runs on the board when Kranti Gaud bowled Imesha Dulani. Captain Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne attempted to stabilize the innings, building a 58-run partnership. Athapaththu, who was the more aggressive of the two, struck four boundaries and two sixes during her 36-run effort off 32 balls.
The match turned decisively when Deepti Sharma ended the stand, luring Athapaththu out of her crease for a sharp stumping by wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh. Deepti then claimed the wicket of Gunaratne shortly after, triggering a total collapse of the Sri Lankan middle order. Deepti eventually finished with an impressive four-wicket haul, supported by an equally effective spell from Shree Charani. Charani obliterated the remaining lineup, accounting for the dismissals of Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, and Sugandika Kumari. Consequently, Sri Lanka was bundled out for just 111 runs.
This dominant display maintains India’s significant head-to-head advantage over Sri Lanka, having now won 26 of their 32 encounters, compared to Sri Lanka’s five wins and a single draw. The crushing 72-run win serves as a testament to India’s depth and execution in high-pressure finals. The report also notes that mohammad Abdullah covers major sports event like FIFA WC, Cricket WC and Formula One. The report also notes that the dismissal of Imesha pushed Lanka on the backfoot from the beginning. The report also notes that both the batters knuckled down to rebuild the innings. The report also notes that they played out a few overs slowly and slowly accelerated the scoring. The report also notes that they shared a 58-run stand for the second wicket to keep the chase alive. The report also notes that she could not resist the temptation and came down the wicket, deepti lured the Lankan captain. The report also notes that but she could not get to the pitch of the ball and missed it completely. The report also notes that a very agile Richa Ghosh collected the ball and took the bails off with the speed of lightning.
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