Bangladesh Secures Semi-Final Spot in Womens Asia Cup with 34-Run Victory Over UAE

Dubai, September 8 (Daily Kiran) : Bangladesh clinched a spot in the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 by defeating the UAE by 34 runs in their twelfth match on September 8 in Dubai. The team will face India in the first semi-final on September 10, while Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan in the second semi-final on September 11.

Batting first after losing the toss, Bangladesh scored 103 runs, losing seven wickets in the process. The innings started poorly as Dilara Akhtar was dismissed for a duck on the third ball, leaving the team without a run on the board. Shortly after, Shobhana Mostari was also out, contributing just 3 runs and leaving the team at 8.

Captain Nigar Sultana then stabilized the innings, forming a crucial partnership of 29 runs with Juwairiah Firdaus for the third wicket. This partnership brought the score to 37 before Firdaus was out for 16 runs, hitting two boundaries off 20 balls.

Sultana continued to build momentum alongside Sharmin Akhtar, adding 15 runs for the fourth wicket and pushing the team’s score past fifty. Sultana scored 23 runs off 28 balls, including three fours, before her dismissal.

At one point, Bangladesh found themselves struggling at 52 runs with four wickets down. However, Nahida Akhtar partnered with Sharmin Akhtar to add 42 runs in 43 balls, bringing the team closer to a respectable total. Sharmin scored 38 runs off 31 balls, featuring three fours, while Nahida remained not out with 16 runs from 26 balls.

For the UAE, security Kotte was the standout bowler, taking three wickets for just 11 runs in four overs. Induja Nandakumar also made an impact with two wickets, while Archara Supriya and Janani Thirukkumaran each claimed one wicket.

In reply, the UAE struggled significantly, managing only 69 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs. Tirtha Satish and Heena Hotchandani were the only players to reach double figures, scoring 11 and 18 runs, respectively.

For Bangladesh, Rabia Khan was the leading wicket-taker with three wickets, while Marufa Akhtar and Nahida Akhtar each took two wickets. Sultana Khatun and Fahima Khatun contributed with one wicket each.