India Women handed Sri Lanka a 72-run defeat in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 13, 2026, to lift a record-extending eighth title in the tournament’s history. Batting first after captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss, India posted 183/5, built around a 129-run opening partnership between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana — the highest opening stand for any wicket in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history. In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111 on the final ball of their innings, undone by a disciplined spin attack led by Shree Charani (4/20) and Deepti Sharma (3/19).

The win also settled unfinished business from two years earlier: Sri Lanka had stunned India by eight wickets in the 2024 final at Dambulla to claim their maiden title, ending India’s run of dominance at the time. This time, India went through the entire tournament unbeaten, and the margin of victory left little doubt about which side controlled the final from start to finish.

Quick Facts

• Match: Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Final, India Women vs Sri Lanka Women
• Date: September 13, 2026
• Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
• Result: India won by 72 runs (183/5 vs 111 all out)
• Titles won by India: 8 (a record; 4th in the T20 format specifically)
• Player of the Match: Shafali Verma (68 off 39 balls)
• Head-to-head in Asia Cup finals: India now lead Sri Lanka 6-1
• Context: Avenged India’s loss to Sri Lanka in the 2024 final at Dambulla

How India Set Up a Big Total

Put in to bat, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana attacked from the outset, taking India to 57/0 at the end of the powerplay. Shafali reached her half-century off just 24 balls — the fastest fifty in Women’s Asia Cup history, bettering Mandhana’s own previous best of 25 balls set in 2022. She eventually fell for 68 off 39 deliveries, studded with nine fours and two sixes, while Mandhana made a fluent 59 off 39 balls before being run out. Their stand of 129 remains the highest opening partnership for any wicket in the tournament’s T20 history.

Contributions from the middle order — Harmanpreet Kaur (14), Richa Ghosh (17 off 13), and a late flourish of 15 not out off just five balls from Gunalan Kamalini — pushed India to a formidable 183/5 in their 20 overs.

India’s Innings at a Glance

Batter	Runs	Balls	Notes
Shafali Verma	68	39	Player of the Match; fastest fifty in Asia Cup history (24 balls)
Smriti Mandhana	59	39	Run out; five fours, three sixes
Richa Ghosh	17	13	Useful middle-order cameo
Gunalan Kamalini	15*	5	Late-innings acceleration
Harmanpreet Kaur (capt.)	14	–	Contributed after winning the toss and opting to bat
Total	183/5	20 overs

How India’s Bowlers Shut Sri Lanka Down

Sri Lanka’s chase never gathered momentum. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu was the one bright spot, top-scoring with 36 and adding 58 runs with Vishmi Gunaratne, but Deepti Sharma broke the stand by removing both batters in quick succession during the 10th over, leaving Sri Lanka at 63/3 with the required rate climbing past 12 runs an over. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani then ran through the rest of the order, finishing with 4/20, while Deepti ended with 3/19. Nilakshika Silva added 22 further down the order, but Sri Lanka were dismissed for 111 on the final ball of the innings — despite India putting down as many as five catches during the defence.

Sri Lanka’s Chase at a Glance

Detail	Figure
Total	111 all out (20 overs)
Top scorer	Chamari Athapaththu — 36
Key partnership	58 runs between Athapaththu and Gunaratne
Leading wicket-taker	Shree Charani — 4/20
Second wicket-taker	Deepti Sharma — 3/19
Result margin	India won by 72 runs

Charani and Deepti Sharma also finished as the tournament’s two leading wicket-takers overall, underlining how central India’s spin attack was to the team’s unbeaten campaign.

An Unbeaten Campaign, Settled Score

India did not lose a single match across the tournament, beating Hong Kong and Thailand comfortably, recording a notable group-stage win over Pakistan, and defeating Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semi-final — a game in which Shafali Verma also earned Player of the Match honours for a 64-run innings. Sri Lanka, too, had arrived at the final unbeaten, having beaten UAE and Indonesia, edged past Bangladesh, and survived a tight semi-final against Pakistan. The gulf in class, however, proved far wider once the two sides met for the title.

For India, the win doubles as revenge for the 2024 final, when Sri Lanka chased down India’s total to win their maiden Asia Cup title in Dambulla. This time, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side made sure there was no repeat, delivering what several match reports described as their most complete performance of the tournament in the final itself.

A Note on the Trophy Presentation

As with several recent India-Pakistan-adjacent cricket events, the post-match trophy ceremony drew separate attention from the result itself. Multiple reports noted that the presentation was affected by an ongoing dispute involving Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, echoing a similar controversy from the men’s Asia Cup in 2025. Coverage of the match result and the ceremony have been treated as distinct storylines by most outlets, with India’s on-field performance widely described as unaffected by the off-field situation.

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