Nagoya, Japan, September 20: Shafali Verma became the first woman to score a century at the Asian Games, hitting an unbeaten 100 off 49 balls as India beat Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final. The win takes India into the gold-medal match against Sri Lanka.
It was also Shafali’s maiden T20I hundred. India finished on 195/4 and Bangladesh were bowled out for 81 in 15.4 overs.
Sri Lanka had earlier booked their place in the final by beating Pakistan. India had reached the last four with an eight-wicket win over Japan.
Mandhana and Shafali set the pace
India won the toss and chose to bat. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali took them to 72/1 in the powerplay. Mandhana hit 37 off 19 balls before Nahida Akter dismissed her off the last ball of the powerplay. She became the highest run-scorer in women’s T20I cricket in the process.
G Kamalini fell soon afterwards to Sanjida Akter Meghla, but Shafali carried on with Harmanpreet Kaur. The pair added 94 off 55 balls. Shafali reached her fifty in 24 balls with a six and went on to her hundred off 49 balls, with three fours and nine sixes. Harmanpreet made 40 off 33.
Shafali’s century in context
Shafali’s strike rate was 204.08. She is the first woman to score an Asian Games century, and the second Indian in either the men’s or women’s game after Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hit one at the 2023 Games.
The nine sixes took her tally in women’s T20Is to 102. She has now made eight scores of 50 or more in 2026, equalling Mandhana, and her 815 runs this year are second only to Laura Wolvaardt’s 824.
Deandra Dottin’s 38-ball hundred remains the fastest in women’s T20Is, while Harmanpreet also reached a century in 49 balls.
India’s bowlers keep Bangladesh in check
Nandani Sharma removed Juairiya Ferdous in the second over. Kranti Gaud and Sree Charani then took the wickets of Sobhana Mostary and Nigar Sultana, and Bangladesh were 39/3 at the end of the powerplay.
Wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Dilara Akter top-scored for Bangladesh with 27 off 23 balls. Nandani took 3/25, Deepti Sharma 3/7 and Sree Charani 2/7, while Kranti Gaud and Shreyanka Patil took one wicket each.
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan
In the earlier match at Nisshin, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field. Sugandika Kumari (1/31) bowled Gull Feroza with the first ball of the game. Captain Chamari Athapaththu (1/30) and Harshitha Samarawickrama then combined to dismiss Saira Jabeen, Pakistan’s second wicket in the powerplay.
Opener Shawaal Zulfiqar (54 off 50 balls) and Ayesha Zafar (71 off 40) put on 115, Pakistan’s highest third-wicket partnership in the format. Zafar was run out and Zulfiqar fell soon after. Fatima Sana made 20 off 12 balls, and Pakistan finished on 177/4, their highest total against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka equalled their highest total in a successful chase and won by eight wickets. Athapaththu was unbeaten on 83 off 50 balls, and opener Imesha Dulani gave her a start with 27 off 21. In the eighth over Athapaththu hit Momina Riasat for 20, including two sixes and two boundaries.
Hasini Perera made 42 off 26 before Nashra Sundhu dismissed her, leaving 47 needed off 36 balls. Samarawickrama and Athapaththu completed the chase with 2.1 overs to spare.
Medal matches on 22 September
India, the defending champions from 2022, play Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match on 22 September. Pakistan meet Bangladesh for bronze on the same day.
