Dubai, September 13 (Daily Kiran) : The Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final is underway in Dubai, where India is facing off against Sri Lanka. Batting first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India posted a total of 183 runs, losing five wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Winning the toss and opting to bat, India got off to a sensational start. The opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Shefali Verma put together a remarkable partnership, scoring 129 runs in just 12.5 overs. This performance set a new record for the highest partnership in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history. Shefali achieved her half-century in a mere 24 balls, becoming the fastest to reach 50 in the tournament. She finished her innings with an impressive 68 runs off 39 balls, including nine fours and two sixes.
Mandhana also showcased her batting prowess, contributing 59 runs with the help of five fours and three sixes. However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, batting at number three, struggled to make an impact and was dismissed for just 14 runs. Richa Ghosh faced difficulties as well, scoring 17 runs off 13 balls.
Deepti Sharma was unable to make a significant contribution, scoring only five runs from seven balls. Bharti Fulmali managed two runs, while Kamalini Gunalan, who replaced the struggling Pratika Rawal in the playing XI, remained unbeaten on 15 runs, hitting a six on the last ball to help India reach their total.
For Sri Lanka, captain Chamari Athapaththu took one wicket for 34 runs in her four overs. Mithali Ayodhya and Chamudi Prabodha also claimed a wicket each, conceding 33 and 40 runs, respectively. Both teams made one change to their line-ups for this crucial match, with India bringing in Kamalini for Rawal and Sri Lanka replacing Kavindi with Vishmi Gunaratne.
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