India won the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 after beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai on September 13. The victory secured India’s eighth title in the competition and completed an unbeaten campaign.
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana led the batting before India’s bowlers took control. India made 183 for five, then bowled Sri Lanka out for 111.
The ICC’s official final report confirms the result. It was a rematch of the 2024 final, which Sri Lanka had won in Dambulla.
Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Final: Score Summary
| Match | India Women vs Sri Lanka Women |
|---|---|
| Date | September 13, 2026 |
| Venue | Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
| India | 183/5 in 20 overs |
| Sri Lanka | 111 all out in 20 overs |
| Result | India won by 72 runs |
For readers new to cricket, 183/5 means India scored 183 runs and lost five wickets. Sri Lanka needed 184 to win, but finished 72 runs short of India’s total.
Sri Lanka Cricket’s match summary confirms the team totals and leading performances.
Shafali and Mandhana Set Up India’s Win
Shafali made 68, while Mandhana added 59. Their fast start gave India a strong base for the rest of the innings.
India reached 57 without loss after the six-over Powerplay. Shafali brought up her fifty from just 24 balls, while Mandhana reached hers from 35.
Shafali finished the tournament with 236 runs from five innings, including three half-centuries. A half-century means a batter scores at least 50 runs in one innings.
The ICC report describes how India’s opening pair took the attack to Sri Lanka. However, Sri Lanka did take late wickets to prevent the total from growing even larger.
Richa Ghosh helps keep the runs moving
Richa Ghosh contributed 17 from 13 balls. Gunalan Kamalini then finished unbeaten on 15.
In a Royal Challengers Bengaluru report, Ghosh discussed the support she received during the tournament. She credited coach Amol Muzumdar, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates with helping her read conditions and adjust her batting.
That account adds context to her contribution. While the openers supplied the largest scores, the later batters also helped India reach a total its bowlers could defend.
India’s Spinners Take Control of the Final
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu top-scored for her side with 36. Vishmi Gunaratne added 20, while Nilakshika Silva made 22.
However, India kept taking wickets. Sree Charani finished with four wickets for 20 runs, and Deepti Sharma claimed three for 19.
Together, they accounted for seven of Sri Lanka’s ten wickets. Their figures show why the chase became so difficult.
| India bowler | Wickets | Runs conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Sree Charani | 4 | 20 |
| Deepti Sharma | 3 | 19 |
The bowling figures come from Sri Lanka Cricket’s official summary. In cricket, “4/20” means the bowler took four wickets while conceding 20 runs.
How India Reached the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Final
India had beaten Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semifinal on September 10. That match tested the team in a different way.
Mandhana fell for two, so India needed others to build the innings. Shafali responded with 64 from 40 balls. Later, Deepti added 13 from five deliveries to help India finish on 149/6.
Bangladesh began its chase positively, but India’s spinners slowed the scoring and took wickets. Deepti finished with three for 26.
Nandani Sharma then took wickets from the last two balls of the match. The ICC semifinal report explains how India recovered from its early batting setback.
Therefore, the route to the title involved more than the strong opening stand in the final. India also needed middle-order runs and steady bowling to get through the previous round.
What Happened at the Trophy Presentation?
According to Associated Press, India’s players did not accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The ceremony was delayed before ending without India receiving the trophy.
Coach Amol Muzumdar said the decision reflected the BCCI’s position. He also said India remained the tournament champion. The presentation dispute did not change the match result.
What India’s Eighth Title Means
India regained the title after losing the previous final to Sri Lanka. The eighth championship also extended its record in the competition.
The final brought together several parts of the team’s game: runs from the openers, contributions later in the innings and wickets from the spinners.
For more on the captain, read our Harmanpreet Kaur coverage. Our report on India’s 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup win covers another major tournament in the team’s recent history.
Featured image (archive): India players at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on July 20, 2017. Photo: Robert Drummond / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
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