India booked their place in the Asia Cup Women 2026 final after beating Bangladesh by 40 runs in Dubai.
India posted 149/6 after Bangladesh chose to bowl first. Bangladesh managed only 109/7 during the chase, handing India a place in Sunday’s final.
The semifinal moved through several key phases across both innings. Here is how India built their total, Bangladesh responded, and India’s bowlers took control.
India Score a Competitive Total of 149 in the Asia Cup Women 2026 Semifinal
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bowl first, giving their bowlers an early opportunity on a challenging Dubai surface. Sultana Khatun quickly used the conditions by dismissing Smriti Mandhana for two from five balls.
Shafali Verma then took responsibility for India’s scoring after surviving two dropped catches. She attacked the bowling with back-to-back sixes before Pratika Rawal joined her with another maximum.
India reached 45/1 after six overs, but Bangladesh’s spinners soon reduced the scoring rate. Rabeya Khan then dismissed Rawal for 20 from 24 balls, leaving Shafali to guide India through the middle overs.
Shafali continued to attack whenever Bangladesh offered scoring opportunities. She reached her 20th T20I half-century in the 13th over before falling for 64 from 40 balls.
Her innings included seven fours and three sixes, giving India the platform needed for a competitive total. Shafali also moved past Smriti Mandhana as India’s leading run-scorer in Women’s Asia Cup history.
She reached 593 tournament runs, moving beyond Mandhana’s previous tally of 590. Her 64 also took her tally to 20 T20I half-centuries, placing her third among Indian women for 50-plus scores.
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur remain ahead of Shafali in the 50-plus T20I scores list. India then needed their middle order to guide the innings through the final overs.
Richa Ghosh scored 21 from 16 balls, while Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 24 from 28 deliveries. Deepti Sharma added 13 from five balls as India reached 149/6 after 20 overs.
Bangladesh’s bowlers created pressure during several stages of the innings. India’s late contributions, however, gave their bowlers a defendable target.
India Recover After Early Setback in the Chase
Bangladesh needed 150 runs for victory, with Dilara Akter and Juairiya Ferdous opening the chase positively. Both batters attacked early and collected boundaries during the Powerplay.
India soon introduced spin, which slowed Bangladesh’s scoring and changed the pace of the chase. Sree Charani then dismissed Ferdous for 14, with Richa Ghosh completing the catch.
Dilara continued for a little longer before Kranti Gaud produced a sliding catch. Deepti Sharma claimed the wicket as Bangladesh reached 35/2 after 7.5 overs.
Sobhana Mostary then tried to rebuild the innings, but India kept the scoring options limited. Deepti struck again in the 14th over by removing Mostary for 18.
Bangladesh had reached 66/3, but the required rate had climbed sharply. Nigar Sultana Joty then struck the first six of Bangladesh’s innings, briefly raising hopes of a late recovery.
Prema Rawat removed Nigar for 19 during the following over. Bangladesh now needed more than 13 runs per over, making every further wicket increasingly important.
India continued to attack through spin and prevented Bangladesh from building another major partnership. Shorna Akter remained unbeaten on 22 from 18 balls, while Fahima Khatun made 14 from 14.
Bangladesh finished on 109/7 after 20 overs. India therefore completed a 40-run victory and secured their place in the final.
Deepti Sharma Seals India’s Place in the Asia Cup Women 2026 Final
Deepti Sharma finished with 3/26 from four overs, striking during the middle phase when Bangladesh needed stability. Her wickets helped India maintain control as the required rate continued to rise.
The spell took Deepti’s tournament tally to 11 wickets. She now leads the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 wicket charts with an average of 3.63.
Nandani Sharma also contributed at the end by taking wickets from the final two deliveries. India completed the semifinal victory with Bangladesh still 40 runs short.
The result sends India into the final on Sunday, September 13. Their opponent will be the winner of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan semifinal.
India will now prepare for another title opportunity after a strong all-round semifinal display. Their batting recovered from early pressure, while the bowling attack controlled Bangladesh’s chase.
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Conclusion
IIndia now have a chance to finish their campaign with another Asia Cup title. The semifinal win also gives the side valuable confidence ahead of the biggest match of the tournament.
The final will bring a different challenge, regardless of the opponent. India will now have to maintain the same balance between their batting depth and bowling options.
For Bangladesh, the campaign ends at the semifinal stage after a promising run. India, meanwhile, move one step closer to another major title in women’s cricket.
