India Women completed an unbeaten campaign at the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup, finishing the tournament with a record-extending eighth title after beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai. India scored 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111, with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana setting up the final through a 129-run opening partnership, while Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma led the bowling effort. Across the tournament, Shafali finished as the leading run-scorer with 236 runs, Mandhana added 213, and Deepti topped the wicket charts with 14. These numbers show how India combined aggressive opening batting with a deep spin attack.
India Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Campaign at a Glance
India played five matches in the tournament and won all of them, starting with a 94-run victory over Thailand, followed by a 137-run win against Hong Kong and a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the group stage. They then defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semifinal before producing their biggest statement in the final, beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs. India also topped Group A with six points and a net run rate of +5.471, while their final victory completed an unbeaten title campaign.
The campaign included two scores above 150 in the group stage, including 193/5 against Hong Kong, while the bowling unit dismissed Thailand for 65 and Hong Kong for 56. Against Pakistan, India bowled their opponents out for only 55, and the semifinal win over Bangladesh came after India defended 149/6. The final followed the same pattern, with India’s batting establishing a strong total before the bowlers completed the job.
India’s Route to the Asia Cup Final
India began with 159/9 against Thailand and won by 94 runs before scoring 193/5 against Hong Kong, their highest total of the tournament, and restricting them to 56. Pakistan were then bowled out for 55 as India won by seven wickets, giving them a perfect three-from-three group-stage record. In the semifinal, Shafali’s 64 helped India reach 149/6 before Bangladesh were restricted to 109/7, sending India into the final with another 40-run victory.
The Final Result in Numbers
The final produced the clearest statistical summary of India’s campaign. India made 183/5 in 20 overs, led by Shafali Verma’s 68 from 39 balls and Smriti Mandhana’s 59 from 39. Their opening stand produced 129 runs before India’s bowlers took control, with Sree Charani claiming 4/20 and Deepti Sharma taking 3/19. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 111 in 20 overs, giving India a 72-run victory and their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
Shafali Verma Was India’s Leading Run-Scorer
Shafali Verma finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, collecting 236 runs in five innings at an average of 47.20 and a strike rate of 171.01. She scored three half-centuries, with her highest score of 68 coming in the final when India needed a fast start against Sri Lanka. Her tournament numbers also included 28 fours and 11 sixes, making her one of the biggest sources of India’s boundary scoring throughout the competition.
Her contribution was not limited to the final because she had already scored 64 in the semifinal against Bangladesh and produced another important innings during the group stage. India’s opening strategy relied heavily on creating pressure during the first six overs, and Shafali’s strike rate of 171.01 shows how effectively she performed that role across five matches.
236 Runs and 11 Sixes
Shafali’s 236 runs came from five innings, with three fifties and a strike rate of 171.01. She also hit 28 fours and 11 sixes, putting her ahead of every other batter in the tournament for total runs and sixes. Smriti Mandhana was second in the run-scoring charts with 213 runs, meaning India’s two openers accounted for 449 runs between them across the five-match campaign.
The Fastest Fifty in Women’s Asia Cup History
Shafali reached her half-century from only 24 balls in the final, setting the record for the fastest fifty in Women’s Asia Cup history. She eventually made 68 from 39 balls, hitting the Sri Lankan attack for 9 fours and 3 sixes. The previous tournament record belonged to Mandhana, who had reached her fifty from 25 balls against Sri Lanka in the 2022 final. Shafali’s 24-ball effort therefore added another record to an already productive tournament.
Smriti Mandhana’s Numbers Show Her Importance
Smriti Mandhana finished the competition with 213 runs from five innings, averaging 42.60 and striking at 165.12. Her campaign included the only century of the tournament, a 124 against Hong Kong, along with her 59 in the final. Those numbers placed her second behind Shafali in the tournament run charts and made India’s opening pair responsible for a large share of their total batting output.
Mandhana’s value was particularly clear because she combined high scoring with the ability to play long innings when the situation required it. Her 124 against Hong Kong remains the highest individual score of the tournament, while her 59 in the final provided the second major contribution in India’s 129-run opening stand.
213 Runs With a Century and Fifty
Mandhana’s 213 runs came at an average of 42.60 and a strike rate of 165.12, with one century and one fifty. Her 124 against Hong Kong was the tournament’s highest individual score, while her final contribution of 59 came from only 39 balls. Together with Shafali, she gave India an opening combination that could both attack from the start and build a substantial total when conditions allowed.
The 129-Run Opening Partnership in the Final
The 129-run opening partnership between Mandhana and Shafali became one of the defining numbers of the final. They added the runs from 77 balls, with Shafali scoring 68 and Mandhana making 59, putting India in control before both openers were dismissed. It was also the highest partnership for any wicket in the history of the Women’s T20I Asia Cup, surpassing the previous mark of 128 between Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma for India against the UAE in 2022.
Sree Charani Led India’s Spin Attack
Sree Charani was one of the major breakthroughs of India’s title campaign, although Deepti Sharma ultimately finished ahead of her as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. Charani collected 12 wickets across the competition and then produced her best performance in the final, taking 4/20 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111. Her tournament performance also moved her to the top of the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings after the competition.
Charani had already shown her impact against Pakistan, where she took 3/6 as Pakistan collapsed to 55. Her ability to take wickets early and maintain pressure through the middle overs gave India another left-arm spin option alongside Deepti and Prema Rawat, helping create a bowling group that repeatedly restricted opposition batting lineups.
Four Wickets in the Final
Charani finished the final with 4/20 from four overs, including a maiden, as Sri Lanka struggled to maintain their chase after losing early wickets. Deepti Sharma added 3/19, meaning the two leading Indian spinners accounted for seven of Sri Lanka’s wickets. With Sri Lanka eventually bowled out for 111, Charani’s spell became the key statistical contribution of India’s bowling performance in the title match.
12 Wickets Across the Tournament
Charani’s 12 wickets placed her second behind Deepti Sharma in India’s tournament wicket tally and among the leading bowlers overall. Her campaign included the three-wicket spell against Pakistan that helped dismiss them for 55, while she later added four wickets in the final. Her consistency meant India did not have to rely on one bowler to create breakthroughs, with several spinners contributing at different stages.
Deepti Sharma Finished as the Tournament’s Leading Wicket-Taker
Deepti Sharma finished the Asia Cup with 14 wickets, the most by any bowler in the tournament, and also produced 3/19 in the final. Her wicket tally was built through consistent performances across the competition rather than one isolated spell, and her control through the middle overs gave India another reliable way of breaking partnerships. She finished ahead of Sree Charani, who took 12 wickets.
Deepti’s role was especially important because India could use her alongside several other spin options without making the attack dependent on one bowler. Against Pakistan, she took 2/5 as India bowled them out for 55, while she later took three wickets in the semifinal against Bangladesh. In the final, her 3/19 completed a seven-wicket contribution from India’s two leading spinners.
14 Wickets and India’s Bowling Depth
Deepti’s 14 wickets and Charani’s 12 gave India 26 wickets between their two leading spinners. That figure becomes even more significant when the supporting contributions are included, because Prema Rawat and Nandani Sharma also produced important spells throughout the tournament. India therefore had several bowlers capable of taking wickets rather than relying on a single frontline option to carry the attack.
Prema Rawat and Nandani Sharma Add Support
Prema Rawat and Nandani Sharma each finished with seven wickets, adding 14 wickets to the combined tally of Deepti and Charani. Rawat was particularly effective against Pakistan, taking 3/9 in the match where India dismissed Pakistan for 55, while Nandani took two wickets in the semifinal against Bangladesh. Their numbers show the depth behind India’s two leading wicket-takers and explain why opponents struggled to escape pressure after the initial overs.
India’s Biggest Batting Records of the Tournament
India’s batting records were driven mainly by their two openers, with Shafali finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer and Mandhana recording the highest individual score. India also produced the highest opening partnership in Women’s T20I Asia Cup history during the final, when Shafali and Mandhana added 129 against Sri Lanka. Their ability to score quickly at the top meant the middle order often came into games with a strong platform already established.
The final brought those numbers together most clearly, as the opening pair produced 129 from 77 balls and helped India reach 183/5. Shafali’s 24-ball fifty added another tournament record, while Mandhana’s 124 against Hong Kong remained the highest individual score of the competition.
Shafali and Mandhana Rewrite the Opening Records
The 129-run stand in the final was not only India’s biggest opening partnership of the tournament but also the highest partnership for any wicket in Women’s T20I Asia Cup history. Across editions, Shafali and Mandhana have now combined for 677 runs in 13 Asia Cup innings, averaging 56.41 as a pair. Their numbers also show that the partnership’s importance extends beyond the 2026 tournament.
India’s Explosive Powerplay Numbers
India’s opening pair repeatedly gave the team a strong start, with both Shafali and Mandhana finishing among the tournament’s leading six-hitters. Shafali hit 11 sixes and Mandhana 10, while their individual strike rates were 171.01 and 165.12 respectively. Their combined 449 runs also created a large gap between India’s two leading run-scorers and the rest of the batting lineup, making the powerplay a major source of India’s scoring advantage.
India’s Bowling Numbers Tell the Other Half of the Story
India’s bowling numbers were almost as significant as their batting figures, particularly because the team repeatedly reduced opponents to relatively low totals. Thailand were dismissed for 65, Hong Kong for 56 and Pakistan for 55 during the group stage, while Bangladesh were restricted to 109/7 in the semifinal. In the final, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111 after India had scored 183/5.
The spin group provided much of that pressure, with Deepti taking 14 wickets, Charani 12 and both Prema and Nandani taking seven each. That gives the four bowlers 40 wickets between them across the tournament, a substantial share of India’s wicket-taking output and a clear indication of how heavily the team relied on spin to control games.
The Spin Unit’s Combined Impact
Four Indian players, Deepti, Charani, Prema, and Nandani, took a total of 40 wickets during a five-match tournament. Deepti took 14 wickets, Charani took 12, and both Rawat (Prema) and Nandani took 7 wickets each. They played well against different teams and at different times. For example, against Pakistan, Charani took 3 wickets for 6 runs and Rawat took 3 wickets for 9 runs. In the final match, Charani and Deepti joined forces to take 7 wickets together.
The Final Was the Perfect Bowling Statement
The final provided the clearest example of India’s bowling strength because the team defended 183/5 by dismissing Sri Lanka for 111. Charani took 4/20 and Deepti 3/19, while the rest of the attack completed the job to bowl Sri Lanka out in 20 overs. India therefore won by 72 runs, with the batting and bowling units producing strong performances in the same match.
The Numbers Behind India’s Eighth Asia Cup Title
India’s eighth Women’s Asia Cup title came after five wins from five matches, making the 2026 campaign unbeaten from the opening game through the final. Their route included three group-stage victories, a 40-run semifinal win over Bangladesh and a 72-run final victory against Sri Lanka. The record-extending eighth championship also continued India’s long history of success in the competition, with the 2026 title coming after their previous seven triumphs.
Shafali led the batting charts with 236 runs, Mandhana followed with 213, while Deepti and Charani led the bowling with 14 and 12 wickets, respectively. India also had two other spinners, Prema Rawat and Nandani Sharma, finish with seven wickets each. The final then brought those strengths together through 183/5 and 111 all out.
Conclusion
India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 campaign was defined by strong numbers at both ends of the innings, with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana providing 449 runs between them and creating a 129-run opening stand in the final. Shafali’s 236 runs made her the tournament’s leading scorer, while her 24-ball fifty against Sri Lanka became the fastest half-century in Women’s Asia Cup history. Mandhana added 213 runs and also produced the tournament’s highest individual score of 124 against Hong Kong.
With the ball, Deepti Sharma’s 14 wickets and Sree Charani’s 12 formed the main part of India’s spin attack, while Prema Rawat and Nandani Sharma added seven wickets each. The final showed the complete picture, as India scored 183/5 and dismissed Sri Lanka for 111 to win by 72 runs and secure their eighth title.
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