Dubai, September 13 (Daily Kiran) : In the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final held in Dubai, India faced off against Sri Lanka. Winning the toss, the Indian team opted to bat first, and the opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Shefali Verma proved to be a game-changer. The duo put together an impressive 129 runs for the first wicket, setting a new record.
Mandhana and Shefali’s partnership of 129 runs came in just 12.5 overs, marking the highest opening stand in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup. They surpassed the previous record held by Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma, who had scored 128 runs together in 2022. This partnership is also the largest ever in a Women’s T20 tournament final.
Shefali showcased her batting prowess, reaching her half-century in a mere 24 balls, making her the fastest to achieve this feat in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup. She broke Smriti Mandhana’s record of 25 balls set in 2022. In her innings, Shefali scored 68 runs off 39 balls, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes. Mandhana supported her well, scoring 59 runs from 39 balls, including 5 fours and 3 sixes.
Together, Mandhana and Shefali have now achieved another milestone in women’s T20 cricket. They are tied for the most century partnerships, having recorded their sixth partnership of 100 runs or more, equaling the record set by UAE’s Isha Oza and Tirth Satish. Shefali also notched her third half-century in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, matching Chamari Athapaththu’s record for the most fifties in a single edition of the Asia Cup, a record set in 2024.
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