Team India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final of the Women's Asia Cup 2026 on Sunday (September 13) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
By winning this match, India successfully avenged their defeat to Sri Lanka in the 2024 final and clinched their record-extending eighth Asia Cup title.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, India posted a formidable total of 183/5 in 20 overs. The foundation was laid by a sensational, record-breaking 129-run opening partnership between Shafali Verma (68 off 39 balls) and Smriti Mandhana (59 off 39 balls).
Sri Lanka's response never truly gained momentum against a disciplined Indian bowling attack, and they were bowled out for 111 on the final ball of their 20 overs. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani was the pick of the bowlers, tearing through the middle order to finish with outstanding figures of 4/20. She was brilliantly supported by off-spinner Deepti Sharma, who claimed 3/19.
Speaking in the post-match interview, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said the triumph was a result of consistently matching the high standards they had set for themselves.
"We set some really high standards for us, and we had to match them every day, and I'm pretty happy with the way we all came up together," Kaur said.
"We know how much potential we have, and we have a great team. I think we played to our standards because that's what we discussed when we came here. we have certain standards, and we have to keep matching them every day.
"And we are very happy with the way we all performed. And I think the girls have done fabulously well throughout the entire tournament, setting 184 in a final. That's a big thing."
She was effusive in praise of the two openers, stating: "We all knew it's not that easy to come back, but I think our openers did an absolutely great job for us, the way they both batted, Smriti and Shafali.
"I think Shafali had a very great tournament, and it's good to see somebody like Shafali taking responsibility and doing the job with bat and ball. And I mean, I can't ask anything else from them. It's all about playing good cricket, and at the end of the day, I'm very happy overall."
Head coach Amol Muzumdar commended the team's all-round clinical performance in the summit clash, highlighting how their strategic plans came together perfectly.
"Really proud of all the players and support staff. It was a fantastic pitch today and we came up good. Our batting was very strong. We started really nicely," Muzumdar said after the match.
"If you see throughout the fortnight, the pitch is a bit on the slower side and it turned quite a bit. So putting on a big score and defending it... we had three quality spinners, so that was the tactic," he added.
Muzumdar also lauded the left-right combination of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, stating that their contrasting styles complement each other brilliantly. He singled out Shafali's power and charisma that pushes oppositions onto the back foot, alongside Mandhana's natural flair.
"Left-right combination. Shafali has got her own style, the power, the charisma, she puts the opposition on the back foot. Smriti has got that flair, they complement each other really well," he said.
Muzumdar revealed the coaching staff went back to footage from their five-match series against Sri Lanka in December to outline a specific plan to dismiss Sri Lanka's star batter, Chamari Athapaththu. He credited Deepti Sharma for executing that blueprint flawlessly on the field.
"We went back to the five-match series against Sri Lanka in December and how we dismissed Chamari, who is an important player for them. That was the plan and glad Deepti executed it," he said.
For 18-year-old G Kamalini, who produced a cameo of 5-ball 15 in the final, the victory was an experience she was still coming to terms with.
"It's a different feeling. I still can't digest it. I'm an 18-year-old kid. There's lot of seniors here. I learned a lot from them, mind-wise. I think the mindset the seniors have, that whether they get out on 100 or 0, they have the same mindset, so I learned that from them," Kamalini said.
Medium pacer Nandani Sharma, playing her first marquee tournament for India, credited her teammates and support staff for the planning behind her partnership with Kranti Gaud.
"This is my first major tournament with India so it feels very good. I feel the credit goes to my team-mates and staff. They had made clear plans. Everyone's confidence is very high and we'll focus on our practice and hope to win the Asian Games as well," she said.
Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh acknowledged that fans’ support and said the team was confident of defending its total once it got a couple of wickets.
"The atmosphere has been really great how the fans came out and cheered for us. At the start the ball was coming on nicely and then it started to get slower. Our batters played really well and we knew if we got a couple of wickets, we'll be able to stop them," Richa said.
"The role I've been given, getting runs there helps the team. We'll discuss as a team how we'll celebrate. Haven't thought about it yet, the game just got over," she added.
(With PTI Inputs)
