Deepti, Shafali help India crush Bangladesh by 40 runs to makes 9th Women's Asia Cup final

India stormed into Women's Asia Cup 2026 final after hammering Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semifinal clash in Dubai on September 10. This is India's ninth attendance in the Women's Asia Cup final. Notably, the inaugural edition was played between India and Sri Lanka only.

India make Women's Asia Cup 2026 final after hammering Bangladesh

Batting first India rode on Shafali Verma made made Bangladesh pay for dropping her thrice and cracked a blistering 40-ball 64 despite being to post a competitive 149/6. In reply, Bangladesh never looked settled in the chase and were eventually restricted for 109/7, thanks to Deepti Sharma's impressive 3/26.

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Deepti Sharma leaves Bangladesh in a spin

Bangladesh failed to pose any real threat to India's total despite an aggressive start from opener Juairiya Ferdous, who smashed a brief 14 off 18 balls. Both Ferdous and her opening partner Dilara Akter (21 off 26) ultimately brought about their own undoing while attempting to clear the mid-wicket boundary. Akter's dismissal was headlined by a spectacular running catch from Kranti Gaud—a rare moment of defensive brilliance on a day where India's ground fielding otherwise appeared sloppy.

Pratika Rawal endured another difficult outing in the field, putting down two chances in a display reminiscent of the previous fixture. However, India's spin attack stepped up to mask the fielding lapses, taking full advantage of the spin-conducive surface. Deepti Sharma spearheaded the bowling performance with an impressive 3 for 26, while Shree Charani (1/14) and Prema Rawat (1/21) applied relentless pressure at the other end.

Throughout the tournament, sluggish track conditions have consistently produced low-scoring contests. Aware of both the surface behavior and Bangladesh’s fragile batting lineup, India remained quietly confident that their first-innings effort was more than sufficient to defend.

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Shafali Verma's heroic fifty in India's win

Bangladesh's disciplined bowling unit, which has been a standout feature of their campaign—kept India’s marquee batting line-up under wraps for the vast majority of the innings. However, Bangladesh’s good work with the ball was severely undone by poor catching, as four dropped chances allowed India to escape with a far meatier total than their performance warranted.

Shafali Verma served as India’s sole engine room, single-handedly lifting the side to a fighting total while enjoying an extraordinary run of fortune after being repracticed on 6, 11, and 56. On a sluggish track where the rest of India’s top four failed to strike above 100, Shafali operated in a different gear altogether, finishing with a strike rate of 160. Her explosive knock featured authoritative strokes across the ground, including a front-foot pull off pacer Marufa Akter, alongside crisp reverse-sweeps and straight sixes against the spinners.

Despite a solid powerplay yield of 45/1, India’s scoring rate dipped significantly through the middle phase. Under-fire number three Pratika Rawal (20 off 24) provided early flair with a textbook cover drive off Akter before charging down the track for a straight six, though Akter eventually got her revenge. Harmanpreet Kaur (24* off 28) endured an uncharacteristically sluggish start—managing just four runs off her first 16 deliveries, while Richa Ghosh (21 off 16) also took time to find her rhythm. Both batters eventually chipped in with late boundaries, with Harmanpreet launching two crucial sixes at the death to add late momentum.

India will now be waiting for the second finalist as Pakistan will take on defending champions Sri Lanka in the second semifinal on September 11.