Shafali Verma delivered a masterclass at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, scoring her maiden T20I century to propel India into the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket final. Her unbeaten 100 off 49 balls, which included nine sixes, provided the foundation for India’s massive 195/4. In response, Bangladesh was completely dismantled by a clinical Indian bowling attack, collapsing for just 81 runs in 15.4 overs. The 114-run victory sets the stage for a highly anticipated gold medal match on Tuesday against Sri Lanka, a repeat of the 2023 Hangzhou final.
The foundation for the win was laid by a dominant opening stand between Verma and Smriti Mandhana, who raced to 72 runs during the Powerplay. Mandhana, who made 37, reached a significant milestone by surpassing Suzie Bates to become the leading run-scorer in women’s T20Is. She also cleared the ropes for her 100th T20I six as India crossed the 50-run mark in only the fifth over. Following Mandhana’s dismissal, captain Harmanpreet Kaur anchored the middle order with a solid 40, helping sustain the momentum alongside Verma.
India’s batting progress saw a brief dip after the Powerplay, but Verma remained unstoppable. She reached her own half-century with a six that also marked her 100th in the format. While Harmanpreet was eventually stumped off Rabeya Khan, and Richa Ghosh fell to a Marufa Akter delivery, the damage had been done. India’s aggressive approach ensured a challenging total, even falling just short of the 200-run milestone.
Bangladesh’s chase was a struggle from the outset, with only three players reaching double figures. A 29-run partnership between Dilara Akter—who top-scored with 27—and Nigar Sultana was the only period where the batting side showed any resilience. Birthday girl Nandani Sharma made an immediate impact by striking off her first ball to dismiss Juraiya Ferdous. The pressure mounted quickly as Kranti Gaud removed Sobhana Mostary, and Harmanpreet’s tactical shift to spin dismantled the remaining order.
Shree Charani provided the breakthrough by dismissing Nigar Sultana, while Deepti Sharma and Nandani continued to pick up wickets with ease. Nandani struck twice in consecutive deliveries to leave Bangladesh seven down by the 11th over. Deepti Sharma eventually finished the match by claiming the final two wickets. Aside from a single over from Shreyanka Patil that yielded 15 runs, India’s bowlers maintained near-perfect control throughout the innings. Final score: India 195/4, Bangladesh 81 all out. The report also notes that as the duo piled up 72 in the Powerplay before the latter’s dismissal off the last ball of that pha, india’s batting dominance was underlined by another significant opening partnership between Shafali and Smriti Mandhana. The report also notes that mandhana fell for 37 as she slog-swept Nahida Akter down the throat of deep mid-wicket. The report also notes that india’s scoring rate dropped below 10 as G Kamalini fell for a painstaking 10-ball 3. The report also notes that who endured a torrid outing as the Indian captain and Shafali tore into her in a 94-run partnership, harmanpreet Kaur began slowly but caught up with a couple of boundaries off Nahida. The report also notes that with Shafali continuing to dominate the bowlers as India got to 150, marufa Akter sent down a forgettable 15th over that cost her 22 runs.
