Dubai: India advanced to the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final after defeating Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semi-final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
The defending champions posted 149/6 in 20 overs after being asked to bat, before restricting Bangladesh to 109/7 in their 20 overs.
Opener Shafali Verma led India’s batting effort with a fluent 64 off 40 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 160.00. She received support from Pratika Rawal, who scored 20 off 24 balls, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten on 24 off 28 deliveries, hitting two sixes.
Richa Ghosh added 21 off 16 balls, including two sixes, while Deepti Sharma provided a late boost with a quick 13 off six deliveries, hitting a four and a six.
Marching into the Final! 🇮🇳
A dominant display by #TeamIndia as they win by 4️⃣0️⃣ runs to seal their spot in the Final of the #WomensAsiaCup 🥳
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/6OyMx9q1ih#INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/MtVYlVDv8n
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 10, 2026
For Bangladesh, Sultana Khatun was the leading bowler with two wickets, while Marufa Akter, Nahida Akter and Rabeya Khan took one wicket each.
Chasing 150, Bangladesh struggled to build partnerships against India’s bowling attack. Dilara Akter top-scored with 21 off 26 balls, followed by captain Nigar Sultana with 19 off 17 and Sobhana Mostary with 18 off 24. Juairiya Ferdous contributed 14 off 18 balls.
India’s spinners kept Bangladesh under pressure throughout the innings. Deepti Sharma finished with 3/26 from four overs, while Shree Charani took 1/14 in her four overs as Bangladesh finished on 109/7.
India will face the winner of the second semi-final between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final.
