Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma Shine as India Beat Bangladesh by 40 Runs, Reach Asia Cup Final

India Women produced a composed all-round performance to defeat Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semi-final of the Women's Asia Cup 2026 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, September 10, booking their place in the final.

Put into bat, India posted 149/6 in their allotted 20 overs, with Shafali Verma providing the major impetus at the top. The opener smashed 64 off 40 balls, striking three sixes and helping India overcome a challenging surface. She was named Player of the Match for her innings.

Shafali's aggressive approach during the powerplay gave India a strong foundation, while Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten on 24. Richa Ghosh also chipped in with a valuable 21 as India recovered from a series of wickets to finish

strongly. Bangladesh's fielding proved costly, with several chances going down during Shafali's innings.

Bangladesh needed 150 for victory but struggled to build sustained momentum against India's disciplined bowling attack. Deepti Sharma was the standout performer, claiming 3/26, while Nandani Sharma returned at the death to take two wickets. Shree Charani and Prema Rawat also picked up one wicket each.

Bangladesh reached 109/7 in their 20 overs. Shorna Akter top-scored with 22, while Fahima Khatun made 14, but India kept taking wickets at crucial stages to ensure there was no late fightback.

The victory means India have reached the Women's T20 Asia Cup final in every edition of the competition. They will face the winner of the second semi-final between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Sunday's summit clash.