Historic Performance by Indian Openers in Women's Asia Cup Final

In a thrilling Women's Asia Cup final, Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana set the stage with a record-breaking partnership, leading India to a formidable total against Sri Lanka. Shafali's explosive innings and record-setting fifty highlight her dominance in the tournament, while the duo's performance cements their place in women's T20I history. As India aims for its eighth title, the match promises excitement and anticipation for cricket fans.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 13, 2026, 22:56 IST

India Sets a Challenging Target

In the women's Asia Cup final held on Sunday, the Indian opening duo of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana made headlines as they helped India post a formidable total against Sri Lanka. Shafali delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 68 runs off 39 balls, which included nine boundaries and two sixes. Meanwhile, Smriti contributed significantly with a solid 59 runs from 39 balls, featuring five fours and three sixes.

Shafali's Record-Setting Tournament

Shafali's fifty, achieved in just 24 balls, is now the fastest in the history of the women's Asia Cup, surpassing Mandhana's previous record of 25 balls set against Sri Lanka in the 2022 tournament. This edition has seen Shafali accumulate three fifty-plus scores, tying her with Chamari Athapaththu for the most in a single Women's Asia Cup edition. She leads the tournament with a total of 236 runs across five innings, averaging 47.20 and boasting a strike rate of 171.01, including three fifties and a top score of 68.

Record-Breaking Opening Partnership

The opening partnership of 129 runs between Smriti and Shafali is now the highest in the history of the women's Asia Cup for any wicket, breaking the previous record of 128 runs set by Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma against the UAE in 2022. This partnership also stands as the highest in any women's T20I final, surpassing the 120-run partnership by West Indies' Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor against Australia in the 2016 Women's T20 World Cup final.

Dominance as a Dynamic Duo

Together, Smriti and Shafali have established six century partnerships in women's T20Is, tying with UAE's Esha Oza and Theertha Satish for the most in the format. Their impressive run continues, with a combined total of 3,909 runs over 105 innings, averaging 38.32 with a run rate of 8.26. They have recorded six century stands and 24 half-century stands, making them the only pair to surpass 3,000 runs in women's T20Is, with no other pair achieving an average above 8 runs per over among those with at least 1,500 runs.

Summary of India's Innings

In the match, India won the toss and chose to bat first. Following the impressive 129-run opening partnership, the Indian batting lineup struggled, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur scoring 14 runs off 14 balls and Richa Ghosh adding 17 runs from 13 balls. A late surge from Bharti Fulmali, who scored 15 runs off just five balls, helped India reach a total of 183/5 in their 20 overs. For Sri Lanka, Mithali Ayodhya and Chamari Athapaththu were the standout bowlers, each taking one wicket.

Looking Ahead

India is now aiming for a record-breaking eighth title in the women's Asia Cup.