India secured their place in the Women’s Asia Cup final after a comprehensive 40-run victory against Bangladesh in the semifinal held in Dubai on Thursday. Asked to bat first after losing the toss, India posted a total of 149/6, anchored by a powerful performance from opener Shafali Verma.
Verma’s 64 off 40 balls proved vital, as she struck seven fours and three sixes. Her innings was characterized by momentum-shifting aggression, despite surviving three dropped catches and a run-out opportunity. Following the early dismissal of Smriti Mandhana for two, Verma and Pratika Rawal stabilized the innings with a 50-run partnership. Rawal contributed 20 from 24 deliveries before falling to Rabeya Khan, leaving India at 58/2.
Verma reached her 20th career fifty in 35 balls before eventually being caught at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Sultana Khatun. The middle order provided necessary support, with Richa Ghosh adding 21 off 16 balls and Deepti Sharma delivering a late-innings cameo of 13 from six balls. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who initially struggled to find her rhythm against the spinners, accelerated late to finish unbeaten on 24 off 28. India’s finish was particularly strong, yielding 53 runs in the final five overs.
In response, Bangladesh struggled to maintain the required pace. After reaching 26 without loss in the sixth over, their opening stand was broken by Shree Charani, who dismissed Juairiya Ferdous for 14. Deepti Sharma then dismantled the middle order, claiming 3/26 to stifle any potential momentum. Despite some late boundaries from the lower order, the target remained out of reach.
Nandni Sharma closed out the match in the final over, picking up two wickets—including a hit-wicket dismissal of Rabeya Khan—to restrict Bangladesh to 109/7. Shorna Akter remained unbeaten on 22 as the innings concluded. Brief Scores: India 149/6 (Shafali Verma 64; Sultana Khatun 2-30) beat Bangladesh 109/7 (Shorna Akter 22*; Deepti Sharma 3-26) by 40 runs. The report also notes that but it helped India add precious runs against the hard new ball as batting got progressively tou, she struck 7 fours and 3 sixes in a charmed knock that saw her dropped thrice and survive a straightforward run-out chance. The report also notes that at 92/3 after 14 overs, India still needed a strong finish. The report also notes that shafali, however, continued to attack. The report also notes that india scored 53 runs in the final five overs after managing only 51 in the previous nine.