India solidified their regional dominance by clinching an eighth Women’s Asia Cup title after a resounding 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final at Dubai. The win, which kept India undefeated throughout the tournament, sets a new benchmark for the most titles won by any team in the competition’s history.
India set a formidable target of 183/5 after a dominant display from their opening pair. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana decimated the Sri Lankan attack, with the scoreboard reaching 98/0 by the ten-over mark. Shafali was particularly destructive, racing to a 24-ball fifty, marking the fastest half-century in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history. This effort surpassed the previous record of 25 balls held by Mandhana, who achieved the feat against the same opponents in the 2022 final.
The offensive was meticulously planned, with India reaching 35/0 after four overs before shifting gears. Shafali exploded in the fifth over, taking 20 runs, including two sixes and a boundary. Although Sri Lanka tightened the scoring briefly in the sixth over, the Indian openers accumulated 64 runs in the subsequent six overs. Mandhana later joined the assault, highlighted by a six off Chamudi Praboda that yielded 13 runs in that over.
In response, Sri Lanka’s chase faltered early. Kranti Gaud provided the initial breakthrough by bowling opener Imesha Dulani when the score was just four. Despite the early setback, captain Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne attempted a recovery, putting together a 58-run second-wicket partnership. Chamari was the more aggressive of the pair, striking four boundaries and two sixes during her 36 from 32 balls.
The match turned decisively when Deepti Sharma removed the dangerous Chamari. The Sri Lankan captain advanced down the wicket but missed a delivery, allowing wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh to effect a lightning-quick stumping. Deepti followed up three balls later by dismissing Gunaratne, triggering a collapse from which the middle order could not recover. India now holds a commanding head-to-head record against Sri Lanka, having won 26 of their 32 encounters.
With the pressure mounting, the Sri Lankan batting lineup struggled to find rhythm. Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva attempted to stabilize with a 23-run stand, but they were unable to maintain momentum against a relentless Indian bowling attack. Shree Charani then dismantled the remainder of the order, securing a four-wicket haul that saw Lanka bundled out for 111.
Charani accounted for Harshitha, Nilakshika, and Kavisha Dilhari, with catches provided by Kamalini and Nidhi, before dismissing Sugandika Kumari for her fourth scalp. The rapid destruction left Sri Lanka unable to resist, cementing India’s status as the region’s premier side. The report also notes that mohammad Abdullah covers major sports event like FIFA WC, Cricket WC and Formula One. The report also notes that india posted a huge total of 183/5 and bundled out Lanka for 111 to lift the trophy. The report also notes that the dismissal of Imesha pushed Lanka on the backfoot from the beginning. The report also notes that the responsibility of building the innings while chasing a big total came on Chamari Athapaththu along with Vishmi Gunaratne. The report also notes that both the batters knuckled down to rebuild the innings. The report also notes that a very agile Richa Ghosh collected the ball and took the bails off with the speed of lightning.
