Shafali Verma’s maiden T20I hundred paved way for India’s convincing 114-run win against Bangladesh in the semifinal of the women’s cricket event at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday.
India will face Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match, a rematch of the summit clash in the Hangzhou 2023 edition. Three years back, it was India who beat the Lankans by 19 runs to clinch gold.
Both teams also recently met at the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 in Dubai where the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side bagged a 72-run win.
In the last-four clash against Bangladesh, Shafali smacked an unbeaten 49-ball 100 before pacer Nandni Sharma and spinner Deepti Sharma took three wickets each. Shafali, who sprinkled the Korogi Sports Park with three fours and nine sixes, stitched up a 94-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet (40 off 33) after Smriti Mandhana departed for a 19-ball 37.
However, the breakthrough came too little too late for Bangladesh, in the 18th over, as Shafali stayed till the end to see India post a daunting 196-run target.
Bangladesh’s chase was off to a stuttering start, losing three wickets in the PowerPlay. Opener Dilara Akter with a 23-ball 27, studded with four fours and a six, was the only batter to provide any resistance as four of the top six batters fell for single-digit scores.
The chasing side was soon bundled out for just 81 inside 15.4 overs. Bangladesh will now face Pakistan in the bronze-medal match.
– with Agencies inputs --
