India continued their dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, defeating Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semifinal at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, September 10. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team ensured a place in the final and extended India’s remarkable run of 10 consecutive Women’s Asia Cup final appearances.
India took 149/6 in 20 overs on a challenging Dubai surface when it was asked to bat first. Although the Indian batting line-up initially couldn’t contend with a fast score in the opening match, the Indian batsman Shafali Verma delivered a match-winning performance that gave the team the momentum it needed. Shafali took 64 runs from 40 deliveries - seven fours and three sixes - and provided India with a solid base against Bangladesh’s disciplined bowling attack.
Shafali’s aggressive approach proved critical, for the pitch made stroke-making difficult for several other Indian batters. India had to recover from early setbacks in her innings, and the team had enough runs on the board to put Bangladesh under pressure in the second innings.
India also made some contributions at the end of the innings. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh made some valuable runs in the final stages to make India competitive and score 149. The score was initially within Bangladesh's reach, but India had other ideas.
Bangladesh began the chase with the hopes of delivering another memorable knockout performance, but India's spinners and disciplined bowling attack kept the pressure firmly on the opposition. Bangladesh failed to form partnerships and ended up at 109/7 after 20 overs, 40 runs short of India’s total.
Deepti Sharma was the standout performer with the ball, taking three wickets and playing a major role in reducing Bangladesh's chase. India's bowlers repeatedly denied Bangladesh easy scoring opportunities, and the slow conditions made it harder to accelerate for the batters.
The victory was even more special for India as Bangladesh had previously engineered one of the biggest upsets in Women's Asia Cup history. Bangladesh defeated India in the 2018 final to win its first Asia Cup title, but this time India did not allow for any upset and controlled the semifinal from the early stages of the match.
India reached the knockout stage due to the good performance of the team at the group stage. The team topped Group A and remained unbeaten, while Bangladesh reached the group stage semis after a 34-run win over the United Arab Emirates.
Shafali’s semifinal performance was another important one in a very good tournament. Her 64 runs made India a defensive team and demonstrated her ability to take control even in difficult batting conditions.
India will now wait for the result of the second semifinal between defending champions Sri Lanka and Pakistan to determine their opponent in the title clash. The second semifinal is scheduled for September 11, and the Women's Asia Cup 2026 final is set for September 13.
India have once again proven that they are a strong team in women’s cricket, with the strength of their batting and bowling unit delivering when it matters most. The 40-run victory over Bangladesh not only gives India another Asia Cup final but also keeps their unbeaten run in the 2026 tournament going.
