India’s women’s cricket team has once again marched into the Women’s Asia Cup final, defeating Bangladesh by 40 runs in a high-pressure semifinal in Dubai on Thursday night.
The victory was powered by a spectacular batting performance from Shafali Verma, who smashed 64 runs from just 40 deliveries, giving India the attacking start they needed on a slow Dubai surface. India eventually posted 149/6, before their disciplined spin attack restricted Bangladesh to 109/7.
The result is significant beyond the scoreline: India have now reached the final in every edition of the Women’s Asia Cup they have contested, making this their 10th appearance in the title clash.
Shafali takes centre stage
The biggest talking point of the match was undoubtedly Shafali Verma.
The opener played an aggressive, fearless innings despite Bangladesh repeatedly getting opportunities to dismiss her. She was dropped at 6, 11 and 56, but continued attacking the bowlers and eventually reached 64, including seven fours and three sixes.
Her innings proved crucial because the rest of India’s top order struggled to accelerate on a difficult batting surface.
Shafali’s strike rate of 160 stood out dramatically, and her assault on Bangladesh’s spinners changed the momentum of the innings. She was eventually dismissed trying to clear long-on, but by then India had the foundation for a competitive total.
Bangladesh’s missed chances prove costly
Bangladesh’s fielding became another major storyline.
Several dropped catches allowed India to build an innings that could otherwise have been much smaller. The repeated reprieves given to Shafali were particularly damaging, with the opener making Bangladesh pay for every missed opportunity.
India eventually finished on 149/6, with contributions from Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh and captain Harmanpreet Kaur helping push the total towards a defendable score.
Indian spinners shut the door
If Shafali provided the fireworks, India’s bowlers provided the control.
Bangladesh struggled to generate momentum during the chase, reaching only 46/2 after 10 overs. India’s spinners repeatedly squeezed the scoring rate and prevented Bangladesh from putting together a substantial partnership.
Deepti Sharma was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 26 runs, while India’s disciplined attack ensured that Bangladesh never got close to the required rate. Bangladesh eventually ended on 109/7, 40 runs short.
A decade of dominance
The victory places India in their 10th Women’s Asia Cup final, an extraordinary record that underlines the country’s dominance in the tournament.
India are already the competition’s most successful team, with seven titles to their name. They now have another opportunity to add an eighth trophy to their collection.
The final will be played on Sunday, September 13, in Dubai, against the winner of the second semifinal between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
