Dubai, September 13, 2026: India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title, completing an unbeaten campaign in Dubai with a dominant all-round performance in the final.
It was a repeat of the 2024 final, which Sri Lanka had won in Dambulla, but this time India were in control from start to finish. Openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana set up the total of 183 for 5, and the bowlers made sure it was more than enough, bowling Sri Lanka out for 111.
The win was India’s 10th consecutive Women’s Asia Cup final appearance and their eighth title in the competition.
Verma’s record fifty sets the tone
Put in to bat, India got away to a flying start through Mandhana and Verma, racing to 57 without loss in the Powerplay. Verma struck four boundaries and two sixes inside the first six overs and kept up the pace afterwards.
She brought up her fifty off just 24 balls midway through the eighth over – the fastest half-century in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history. It was Verma’s 21st T20I fifty, her third of this tournament and her second in a row.
Mandhana followed her opening partner to a half-century of her own, reaching 50 off 35 balls as India went to the halfway mark on 98 without loss. The pair put on their sixth century opening stand together.
Sri Lanka finally found a breakthrough in the 13th over when 17-year-old Chamudi Praboda had Verma caught for 68, ending the opening stand at 130. Mandhana did not last much longer, run out for 59 off 39 balls – her third run-out of the tournament.
Richa Ghosh and captain Harmanpreet Kaur tried to keep the innings moving, but India lost three wickets for just seven runs in the closing overs. G Kamalini steadied things at the death, hitting a six to help India close on 183 for 5.
Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani rip through Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s reply began brightly, with Imesha Dulani finding a boundary off the very first ball, but Kranti Gaud bowled her later in the same over. Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunarathne then steadied the innings with a stand of 58 for the second wicket.
India’s spinners took over from there. Deepti Sharma deceived Athapaththu in flight, and Richa Ghosh completed the stumping to remove the Sri Lanka captain just as she looked ready to accelerate. Two balls later, Sharma also had Gunarathne, leaving Sri Lanka 63 for 3 at the halfway stage.
Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshi Silva tried to rebuild, but Sree Charani ended the stand with a leaping return catch to remove Samarawickrama – one of the players who had troubled India in the 2024 final. Charani struck twice more in the same spell, removing Kavisha Dilhari and Silva in the space of three balls to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 102 for 6.
From there, the innings fell apart quickly. Shafali Verma had Hasini Perera caught, and Nandni Sharma took a fine diving catch to give Charani her fourth wicket, this time off Sugandika Kumari. Prema Rawat removed Mithali Ayodhya before Deepti Sharma had the final say, bowling Kaushini Nuthyangana to wrap up the innings and complete India’s 72-run win.
‘We had to match our own high standards’ – Harmanpreet
Shafali Verma finished the tournament with 236 runs from five innings, including three half-centuries, and her captain had no shortage of praise for the opener’s contribution across the competition.
“I think Shafali had a great tournament and it’s good to see somebody like Shafali who is taking the responsibility and doing the job with bat and ball,” Harmanpreet said. “I can’t ask anything else from her. It’s all about playing good cricket and I am very happy about that. We set some really high standards for us and we had to match them every day.”
