India cemented their status as the dominant force in continental cricket by securing their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title after an emphatic 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the tournament final held in Dubai. The result maintained India’s unbeaten run throughout the campaign and extended their head-to-head superiority over the Lankans, with India having now won 26 of their 32 encounters.
Batting first, India laid the foundation for the win by posting an imposing total of 183/5. The innings was defined by a blistering display of power-hitting from openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. While the duo began cautiously, reaching 35/0 after four overs, the momentum shifted dramatically in the fifth over when Shafali attacked the bowling to plunder 20 runs. By the conclusion of the six-over powerplay, India had reached 57/0.
Shafali reached her fifty in just 24 balls, setting a new record for the fastest half-century in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup. This mark surpassed Smriti Mandhana’s own previous record of a 25-ball fifty set against the same opposition in the 2022 final. Currently, Indian players hold the top five fastest fifty records in the format, with Shafali responsible for three of them. Smriti eventually joined the offensive, notably striking Chamudi Praboda for a six during an expensive 13-run over.
Chasing 184, Sri Lanka’s innings never gained the necessary traction. Their pursuit began poorly when Kranti Gaud bowled opener Imesha Dulani for just four runs. Although captain Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne attempted to stabilize the chase with a 58-run partnership, the pressure of the required run rate proved insurmountable. Chamari played aggressively, striking four boundaries and two sixes in her 32-ball 36, but her departure changed the complexion of the match.
The collapse was orchestrated by Deepti Sharma, who lured Chamari out of her crease, allowing wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh to execute a sharp stumping. Deepti followed this by dismissing Vishmi off her own bowling shortly after. The Lankan middle-order subsequently faltered, despite a brief 23-run resistance from Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva.
Deepti Sharma’s spell was complemented by the destruction wrought by Shree Charani, who finished with four wickets. Charani dismissed Harshitha, Nilakshika, Kavisha Dilhari, and Sugandika Kumari in quick succession. Under constant pressure, the Sri Lankan lineup crumbled entirely, finishing on 111 all out. The comprehensive victory marked a historic milestone for India, further solidifying their record as the most successful team in tournament history. The report also notes that mohammad Abdullah covers major sports event like FIFA WC, Cricket WC and Formula One. The report also notes that india posted a huge total of 183/5 and bundled out Lanka for 111 to lift the trophy. The report also notes that the dismissal of Imesha pushed Lanka on the backfoot from the beginning. The report also notes that both the batters knuckled down to rebuild the innings. The report also notes that they played out a few overs slowly and slowly accelerated the scoring. The report also notes that they shared a 58-run stand for the second wicket to keep the chase alive. The report also notes that but she could not get to the pitch of the ball and missed it completely.
