Unbeaten India lift eighth Women’s Asia Cup after crushing Sri Lanka by 72 runs

India completed a dominant campaign at the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai on September 13 to lift the title for a record eighth time.

Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and finished as the strongest side across both batting and bowling. Their performance in the final underlined that dominance, with the team posting 183 for five before restricting Sri Lanka to 111.

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma set up the victory with a record 129-run opening partnership. India’s top order maintained the team’s attacking approach throughout the tournament, with the champions recording a scoring rate of 8.35 runs per over, compared with 5.12 by all other teams combined.

India also had a runs-per-wicket ratio of 26.46, more than twice the combined figure of 11.95 for the other sides. Their batters produced four half-centuries, while the rest of the tournament produced two collectively. India were also the only team to record a century.

Their power-hitting was another major difference. India struck 32 sixes during the tournament, 10 more than all other teams combined. The champions hit a six every 16.62 deliveries, compared with Sri Lanka’s one every 64.62 balls.

The bowling attack was equally effective. India finished with a tournament-best bowling average of 8.84 and an economy rate of 4.29. The corresponding figures for the other teams combined were 16.12 and 5.79 respectively.

Sree Charani was at the centre of India’s bowling success. Her four-wicket haul in the final, 4/20 in four overs, helped dismantle the Sri Lankan chase. Deepti Sharma also played a key role with 3/19.

Charani’s performances also saw her rewrite the record for the most T20 International wickets by an Indian woman in a calendar year. With 39 wickets in 2026, she moved past Poonam Yadav’s previous record of 35 wickets in 2018. Deepti Sharma is next on the list, having taken 30 wickets in both 2024 and 2026.

Her final figures also put Charani among a select group of bowlers to claim a four-wicket haul in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup final. Poonam Yadav took 4/9 against Bangladesh in 2018, while Pakistan’s Sana Mir recorded 4/13 against India in 2012.

Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a poor start. Imesha Dulani opened with a boundary but was bowled by Kranti Gaud on the fourth delivery, giving India an early breakthrough.

India’s middle order could not replicate the impact of the openers. Harmanpreet scored 14 off 14 balls, while Richa Ghosh made 17 off 13. Bharti Fulmali provided the late acceleration with an unbeaten 15 off just five deliveries, including a four and a six, to take India to 183/5.

Mithali Ayodhya and Chamari Athapaththu took a wicket each for Sri Lanka.

The only significant weakness in India’s campaign came in the field. The champions dropped 17 catches, the most by any team in the tournament, and finished with a catching efficiency of 59.5 per cent. Indonesia were the only other side below 70 per cent, with an efficiency of 58.8 per cent.

The title win drew praise from across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team, praising its confidence, consistency and spirit throughout the tournament.

President Droupadi Murmu also congratulated the players, highlighting their unbeaten run and describing the team as an inspiration, particularly for young women.

BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla called the campaign a complete team effort, while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami praised the side’s discipline and confidence. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also hailed India’s performance across batting, bowling and fielding.

With an unbeaten record, the tournament’s best batting and bowling numbers and a number of individual milestones, India’s eighth Asia Cup triumph further strengthened their dominance in the women’s continental T20 competition.