India reached yet another Women’s Asia Cup final after beating Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semi-final on Thursday, with Shafali Verma producing a decisive innings on a slow surface.
Batting first, India was restricted to 149 for six as Bangladesh’s bowlers kept most of the Indian batters from scoring freely. Shafali, however, found a way to dominate despite the difficult conditions, smashing 64 off 40 balls at a strike rate of 160.
The opener was given three lives, dropped on 6, 11 and 56, and Bangladesh paid heavily for each mistake. Shafali attacked both pace and spin, using shots such as the front-foot pull, reverse sweep and powerful drives down the ground. Her innings included three sixes, helping India post a total that proved more than sufficient.
Pratika Rawal made a positive start at No. 3, scoring 20 off 24, while Richa Ghosh added 21 off 16. Harmanpreet Kaur struggled initially against spin, managing only four runs from her first 16 deliveries, but recovered late with two sixes to finish unbeaten on 24 off 28.
Bangladesh’s fielding also contributed to India’s total. Four dropped catches gave India valuable extra opportunities on a pitch where run-scoring was difficult.
The target of 150 proved beyond Bangladesh as India’s spinners took control of the chase. Deepti Sharma led the attack with 3/26, while Shree Charani and Prema Rawat picked up one wicket each. Bangladesh finished on 109 for seven in their 20 overs.
Their openers, Juairiya Ferdous and Dilara Akter, struggled to build momentum, scoring 14 off 18 and 21 off 26 respectively. Both were dismissed while attempting to clear the mid-wicket boundary. Kranti Gaud produced one of India’s best fielding moments with a running catch to dismiss Akter.
The victory sends India into another Asia Cup final, where they will face either Pakistan or Sri Lanka on Sunday. India is already the tournament’s most successful side with seven titles, including four in the 50-over format and three in T20 cricket.
After their surprise defeat to Sri Lanka in the previous edition, India has once again put themselves within touching distance of another Asia Cup title. This time, Shafali’s aggressive knock on a challenging pitch provided the platform for their progression.
