Shafali ton seals India’s smooth passage into Asian Games final
Bangladesh folded for 81 as India completed a resounding victory after posting 195/4
Shafali Verma’s maiden T20I hundred set up India’s thumping 114-run win over Bangladesh in the semifinal clash of the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket event at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. The opener slammed nine sixes in her unbeaten 49-ball 100, powering India to 195/4, before an all-round bowling performance led Bangladesh’s rout for just 81. The result meant that India will face Sri Lanka in the gold medal clash on Tuesday, in what is a repeat of the 2023 final in Hangzhou.
India’s batting dominance was underlined by another significant opening partnership between Shafali and Smriti Mandhana, as the duo piled up 72 in the Powerplay before the latter’s dismissal off the last ball of that phase. Both batters took turns in putting the Bangladeshi attack under the pump, with Mandhana surpassing Suzie Bates as the leading run-scorer in women’s T20Is. She also raised her 100th T20I six as India raced past fifty in the fifth over.
Mandhana fell for 37 as she slog-swept Nahida Akter down the throat of deep mid-wicket. India’s scoring rate dropped below 10 as G Kamalini fell for a painstaking 10-ball 3. But there was no stopping Shafali, who brought up her half-century with a six that marked her 100th in the format as well. Harmanpreet Kaur began slowly but caught up with a couple of boundaries off Nahida, who endured a torrid outing as the Indian captain and Shafali tore into her in a 94-run partnership.
Marufa Akter sent down a forgettable 15th over that cost her 22 runs, with Shafali continuing to dominate the bowlers as India got to 150. But they still fell short of the 200-run mark - Harmanpreet was stumped off Rabeya Khan, shortly after the leggie dropped the Indian captain off her own bowling. Marufa redeemed herself with expert execution of the yorker and the slower delivery, removing Richa Ghosh in the process. Shorna Akter then gave away just four runs off her last four balls, although Shafali got to her hundred off the final ball of the innings.
The chase was largely a procession, with only three Bangladeshi batters getting to double-figures and a third-wicket stand of 29 between Dilara Akter and Nigar Sultana the only one to carry any substance. Nandani Sharma celebrated her birthday with a wicket off her first ball to dismiss Juraiya Ferdous, while Kranti Gaud removed Sobhana Mostary soon after.
As Dilara counter-attacked the pacers, Harmanpreet was prompt to turn to spin - a move that reaped instant dividend as Shree Charani dismissed Nigar, before Shreyanka Patil and Deepti Sharma also got into the wickets. Nandani then turned to strike twice in as many deliveries as Bangladesh were seven down in the 11th over. Thereafter, the batters went through the motions with the writing clearly on the wall. Barring a Shreyanka over that produced 15 runs, there was very little that India did wrong. Deepti then added the final two wickets to fall to her kitty, wrapping up Bangladesh’s innings inside 16 overs.
Brief scores: India Women 195/4 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 100*, Harmanpreet Kaur 40, Smriti Mandhana 37; Shanjida Akter Meghla 1-25) beat Bangladesh 81 all out in 15.4 overs (Dilara Akter 27; Deepti Sharma 3-7, Nandani Sharma 3-25, Shree Charani 2-7) by 114 runs.
