Dubai, September 9 (Daily Kiran) : The Indian women’s cricket team is set to clash with Bangladesh in the semifinals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 on September 9, 2026. The match, dubbed ‘Semifinal-1’, will determine which team advances to the final on September 13. As the top team in Group A, India enters this match as the favorite. However, their batting lineup has shown vulnerabilities that Bangladesh will likely exploit.
India is eager to secure a record eighth Asia Cup title. The team has previously won the ODI format four times and the T20 format three times. Despite winning all three of their initial matches in this tournament, India’s batting issues were evident when they lost their ninth wicket for just 137 runs against Thailand after losing the third wicket at 108.
Bangladesh also needs to address its batting challenges. However, their in-form pacer, Marufa Akhtar, has been consistent throughout the tournament, maintaining an impressive economy rate of 3.27. Her ability to swing the new ball poses a significant threat to India’s top order.
With Jemimah Rodrigues sidelined due to injury, Pratikka has stepped in at number three, scoring 36 runs at a strike rate of 109.09 across three innings. This high-stakes semifinal presents her with a crucial opportunity to contribute against Bangladesh.
In Dubai’s spin-friendly conditions, India’s bowling attack has excelled, with their spinners taking 21 wickets in the tournament. Left-arm spinner Shri Charani has been particularly effective, claiming 21 wickets in her last eight T20 internationals. Historically, teams batting first have won eight out of the twelve matches played so far in this tournament.
India has faced Bangladesh in 24 T20 matches, winning 21 of them, while Bangladesh has secured victory in three.
The Indian team includes: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shefali Verma, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), G. Kamalini (wicketkeeper), Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav, Shri Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Nandini Sharma, Kranti Gaud, and Pratik Raval.
The Bangladesh team features: Nigar Sultana (captain), Nahida Akhtar (vice-captain), Dilara Akhtar, Farzana Islam, Jueria Firdous, Sharmin Akhter Supta, Sarmine Sultana, Shobhana Mostari, Shorna Akhtar, Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun, Rabia Khan, Marufa Akhtar, Sultana Khatun, and Sanjida Akhtar Meghla.
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