IND-W vs SL-W Final Review: India Crush Sri Lanka by 72 Runs, Lift Record 8th Women’s Asia Cup Title
IND-W vs SL-W Final Review: India Crush Sri Lanka by 72 Runs, Lift Record 8th Women’s Asia Cup Title
India produced a commanding all-round performance to defeat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final in Dubai, securing a record-extending eighth title. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s record 129-run opening stand laid the platform before Shree Charani’s four-wicket haul dismantled Sri Lanka’s chase. The victory avenged India’s defeat to Sri Lanka in the 2024 final, though the presentation ceremony was overshadowed by a trophy refusal controversy.
India Women celebrate their record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai. (Photo: BCCI Women)
Key Takeaways – The Final
- 🏏 India’s Record 8th Title: India clinched their record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title with a dominant 72-run victory over Sri Lanka.Source: Olympics.com
- ⭐ Shafali-Mandhana Record Stand: The opening duo put on 129 runs – the highest partnership for any wicket in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history.Source: Bhaskar English
- 🔥 Shree Charani’s Four-Wicket Haul: Charani finished with 4/20, becoming the third bowler to take four wickets in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup final.Source: Bhaskar English
- 🏆 Trophy Refusal Drama: India refused to accept the trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, repeating the stance taken by the men’s team last year.Source: Dawn
- 📉 Sri Lanka’s Batting Collapse: Only Chamari Athapaththu (36), Vishmi Gunaratne (20), and Nilakshika Silva (20) reached double figures as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111.Source: Dawn
📋 Match Overview
- Match: India Women vs Sri Lanka Women, Women’s Asia Cup 2026 – Final
- Date: September 13, 2026 (Sunday)
- Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
- Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field firstSource: Mid-Day
- Result: India won by 72 runs
- Player of the Match: Shafali Verma (68 off 39 balls)Source: News On AIR
- Series: India win the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 (record 8th title)
📊 Full Scorecard – IND-W vs SL-W Final
🇮🇳 India Women – 183/5 (20 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shafali Verma | 68 | 39 | 9 | 2 | 174.35 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 59 | 39 | 5 | 3 | 151.28 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur (c) | 14 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Richa Ghosh (wk) | 17 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 130.76 |
| Deepti Sharma | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 71.42 |
| G Kamalini | 2* | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Prema Rawat | 15* | 5 | 1 | 1 | 300.00 |
Extras: 3 (lb 1, w 2) · Total: 183/5 (RR: 9.15) · Fall of wickets: 1-129 (Shafali, 12.5 ov), 2-132 (Mandhana, 13.4 ov), 3-160 (Ghosh, 17.1 ov), 4-166 (Kaur, 18.4 ov), 5-167 (Deepti, 18.5 ov)Source: ESPNcricinfo
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Women – 111 all out (20 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imesha Dulani | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Chamari Athapaththu (c) | 36 | 32 | 4 | 2 | 112.50 |
| Vishmi Gunaratne | 20 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 90.90 |
| Nilakshika Silva | 20 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Kavisha Dilhari | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Harshitha Samarawickrama | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kaushani Nuthyangana (wk) | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 58.33 |
| Sugandika Kumari | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mithali Ayodhya | 0* | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Extras: 22 · Total: 111 all out (20 overs) · Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Dulani, 0.4 ov), 2-62 (Athapaththu, 9.6 ov), 3-65 (Gunaratne, 10.3 ov), 4-77 (Samarawickrama, 13.1 ov), 5-85 (Dilhari, 15.1 ov), 6-95 (Silva, 16.4 ov), 7-111 (Nuthyangana, 19.2 ov)Source: ESPNcricinfo
🇮🇳 India Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shree Charani | 4 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
| Deepti Sharma | 4 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 4.75 |
| Kranti Gaud | 3 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 6.66 |
| Nandani Sharma | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 6.00 |
| Prema Rawat | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Shafali Verma | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3.00 |
Source: ESPNcricinfo
📝 Match Report – How India Dominated the Final
The Record Opening Stand
Sri Lanka’s decision to field first backfired spectacularly as Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana produced a breathtaking opening partnership of 129 runs in just 12.5 overs – the highest partnership for any wicket in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history.Source: Bhaskar English
Shafali was the aggressor from the start, smashing the fastest fifty in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history off just 24 balls. She greeted Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu with two sixes in the fifth over and continued to take the attack to the bowlers.Source: Indian Express Mandhana played the perfect supporting role before accelerating, reaching her fifty off 35 balls. The pair also equalled the record for the most century partnerships in women’s T20 internationals with their sixth such stand.Source: Bhaskar English
Shafali departed for 68 off 39 balls with nine fours and two sixes, while Mandhana fell for 59 off 39 balls with five fours and three sixes.Source: Indian Express
The Batting Collapse
Chasing 184, Sri Lanka’s chase never gained momentum. Kranti Gaud struck in the very first over, dismissing Imesha Dulani for 4. Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne steadied the ship with a 58-run partnership, but Deepti Sharma’s brilliant spell changed the game.Source: News18
Deepti removed Athapaththu with a sharp stumping by Richa Ghosh for 36, then bowled Gunaratne three balls later. Shree Charani then ran through the lower order, finishing with 4/20. The left-arm spinner dismissed Harshitha Samarawickrama with a sharp return catch, struck twice in three balls in the 16th over, and completed a wicket-maiden final over.Source: Indian Express
Deepti fittingly had the final say, completing her three-wicket haul with the last ball of the match as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111.Source: News18
🏆 Trophy Refusal Controversy
India’s victory was overshadowed by a major controversy during the presentation ceremony. The Indian team refused to accept the winners’ trophy and medals from Asian Cricket Council president and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, repeating the stance taken by the men’s team at the Asia Cup last year.Source: Dawn
The trophy presentation was delayed by more than half an hour. Naqvi presented medals to the Sri Lankan team and gave captain Chamari Athapaththu the runners-up cheque, but the Indian team returned to the dressing room without collecting their medals or the trophy.Source: Bhaskar English
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained the board’s stance, stating that the priority was winning the tournament. Head coach Amol Muzumdar backed the decision, saying: “The stand has been taken by the BCCI. We stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That’s good enough.”Source: Hindustan Times
“Everything went very well. We won, and everyone is extremely happy. The ambition was not to focus on who would give the trophy.”
— BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia
⭐ Key Performances
🏆 Player of the Match – Shafali Verma (68 off 39)
Shafali Verma produced a match-winning performance on the biggest stage, smashing 68 off just 39 balls with nine fours and two sixes. Her 24-ball fifty was the fastest in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history. She also contributed with the ball, taking 1/6 in two overs.Source: News On AIR
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised Shafali’s all-round contributions: “Great to see someone like Shafali take responsibility through the tournament with the bat and ball.”Source: ANI
💪 Shree Charani – 4/20 (4 overs)
Shree Charani continued her sensational form, finishing with 4/20 in the final. She became the third bowler to take four wickets in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup final and surpassed Poonam Yadav’s record for most T20 wickets by an Indian woman in a calendar year with 39 wickets in 2026.Source: Bhaskar English
Her spell included a wicket-maiden final over, capping off a dominant tournament for the left-arm spinner.
🎯 Deepti Sharma – 3/19 (4 overs)
Deepti Sharma was the perfect foil to Charani, taking 3/19 in her four overs. She dismissed the dangerous Chamari Athapaththu with a brilliant stumping by Richa Ghosh, then bowled Vishmi Gunaratne three balls later. She fittingly sealed the victory with the final wicket of the match.Source: Indian Express
🇱🇰 Chamari Athapaththu – 36 (32 balls)
The Sri Lankan captain was the lone warrior for her team, scoring 36 off 32 balls with four fours and two sixes. She acknowledged her team’s struggles after the match: “We did not play our best game in all three departments. They played very well. But we will bounce back.”Source: Dawn
📖 Records & Milestones – The Final
- Highest Partnership in Women’s T20 Asia Cup: Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s 129-run stand is the highest for any wicket in the tournament’s history.Source: Bhaskar English
- Fastest Fifty in Women’s T20 Asia Cup: Shafali Verma reached her fifty off just 24 balls.Source: Bhaskar English
- Most Century Partnerships: Shafali and Mandhana equalled the record for most century partnerships in women’s T20 internationals with their sixth such stand.Source: Bhaskar English
- Most Sixes in a Tournament: India hit 32 sixes in the 2026 Asia Cup, the most by any team.Source: Bhaskar English
- Shree Charani’s Record: Charani became the Indian woman with the most T20 wickets in a calendar year, taking 39 wickets in 2026.Source: Bhaskar English
- Charani’s Four-Fer in Final: She became the third bowler to take four wickets in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup final.Source: Bhaskar English
- Shafali’s 675 Runs in 2026: Shafali has scored 675 runs in T20 cricket in 2026, moving to second among Indian batters for most runs in a calendar year.Source: Bhaskar English
🗣️ Expert Reactions – What They Said
🗣️ Senior Journalist’s Verdict – A Title Built on Batting Brilliance and Bowling Dominance
My Take: India’s Most Complete Performance of the Tournament
This was the most complete performance of India’s campaign. The batting was explosive, the bowling was clinical, and the fielding – despite five dropped catches – was adequate on a night when everything else clicked.
Shafali Verma’s transformation in this tournament has been remarkable. She has always had the talent, but the maturity and responsibility she has shown with both bat and ball is a sign of a player coming of age. Her 68 in the final was the perfect blend of aggression and control.
Shree Charani’s rise as India’s premier spinner has been one of the stories of the year. Her 4/20 in the final, following her 39-wicket haul in 2026, confirms her as one of the best in the world. Deepti Sharma’s experience and control remain invaluable in the middle overs.
Sri Lanka were simply outclassed. Their batting, so reliant on Athapaththu, lacked the depth to cope with India’s spin attack. Their future is bright, but they need more contributors at the top of the order.
The trophy refusal controversy will be debated, but it should not overshadow what was a magnificent cricketing performance. India were the best team in the tournament from start to finish, and this eighth title is richly deserved.
— Editorial Team, CricLive.in
📰 Sources
- ESPNcricinfo — Full scorecard, match report, player stats
- Indian Express — Match report, Charani’s spell, top performers
- ANI — Player quotes (Harmanpreet, Kamalini, Nandani, Richa)
- Bhaskar English — Trophy drama, top moments, records
- Dawn — Trophy refusal, match report, Athapaththu quote
- News On AIR — Match report, President Murmu’s congratulation
- News18 — Live updates, match report
- Olympics.com — Match result, key details
- Hindustan Times — Coach Muzumdar’s reaction
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