India crush Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win Women's Asia Cup 2026 for record 8th time

India produced a dominant performance to beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final in Dubai. The victory helped India secure a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. The post-match presentation is also expected to attract attention because of the ongoing trophy controversy involving ACC president Mohsin Naqvi.

Batting first, India posted a huge 183/5 in 20 overs, thanks to a spectacular opening partnership between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. The duo added 129 runs for the first wicket, with Shafali scoring 68 off 39 balls and Mandhana contributing 59 off 39 balls. Shafali also smashed nine fours and two sixes, completing her half-century in just 24 balls.

Sri Lanka struggled during the chase as India’s bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals. The defending champions were eventually bowled out for 111, giving India a comfortable 72-run victory. Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma led the bowling attack as India completed a dominant win and lifted the Women’s Asia Cup title for a record eighth time.

Shafali Verma (68) and Smriti Mandhana (59) power India to 183/5 with a blistering 129-run opening stand

Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat first on a slow Dubai wicket, hoping to give India a strong start before the pitch became slower later in the innings. Her decision worked as Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana attacked from the beginning and took advantage of Sri Lanka’s inexperienced bowling attack. The openers used the powerplay well, playing attacking shots and taking India to 57 runs in the first six overs.

Shafali carried her excellent form from the previous match, where she had scored 64, and continued to attack the Sri Lankan bowlers with big shots. Mandhana, who had struggled after her century against Hong Kong, took some time to settle before increasing the scoring rate.

See also -Will Mohsin Naqvi hand over the trophy to India if they win Women's Asia Cup 2026 final?

The duo took India past 100 in the 11th over, with Mandhana also completing her half-century. However, their 129-run opening stand finally ended when Shafali was caught by Chamari Atapattu off Chamundi Prabodha for a brilliant 68 off 39 balls.

Harmanpreet then joined Mandhana at the crease at No. 3, but the partnership ended quickly when Mandhana was run out after responding to Harmanpreet’s call for a run despite the ball going straight to a fielder. Mandhana returned for 59 off 39 balls, while Harmanpreet was later dismissed for 14. Richa Ghosh added a few big shots before falling for 17, and Deepti Sharma was run out for five as India lost wickets towards the end. Despite the late setbacks, India finished on 183/5 and set Sri Lanka a challenging target in the final.

Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma dismantle Sri Lanka's chase, bundling them out for just 111

Sri Lanka’s chase was always going to be difficult on the slow Dubai wicket, where even 150 runs had proved hard to chase in the previous matches. Chasing 184, Sri Lanka needed a strong start, but Kranti Gowda struck early by dismissing Imisha Dulani on the fourth ball. Chamari Athapaththu tried to keep the chase alive and added 58 runs for the second wicket with Vishmi Gunaratne, but she did not get enough support from the other end.

The arrival of India’s spinners made the situation even tougher for Sri Lanka. Deepti Sharma struck twice in the 10th over, first dismissing Gunaratne for 20 before getting Athapaththu for 36. Athapaththu tried to charge Deepti but was beaten in flight, allowing Richa Ghosh to complete the stumping. Three balls later, Gunaratne attempted a sweep but was bowled around her legs. With Sri Lanka reduced to 63/3 after 10 overs and the required rate already above 12, their hopes of chasing the target faded quickly.

See also -Watch: India refuse to take Women's Asia Cup 2026 title from Mohsin Naqvi

Shree Charani then took centre stage and dismantled Sri Lanka’s lower order with a brilliant four-wicket haul. India also missed a few catches and run-out chances, which could have ended the match earlier, but Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 111 on the last ball of the 20th over. Charani finished with four wickets, while Deepti took two, with Shafali Verma, Kranti Gowda and Prema Rawat taking one each. Nilakshika Silva scored 22, but it was not enough as 'Women in Green' completed a 72-run victory and secured their record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.

Victory extends India's all-time record as the most successful team in Women's Asia Cup history

India defeated Sri Lanka in the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday to win the title for a record eighth time. The victory further strengthened India’s position as the most successful team in the history of the tournament.

Since the first edition in 2004, only three teams have won the Women’s Asia Cup — India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India now have eight titles, while Bangladesh won the tournament in 2018 and Sri Lanka lifted the trophy in 2024. This was also India’s fourth T20 Asia Cup title. Until 2008, the tournament was played in the ODI format, with India winning every edition during that period.

Here is the Full list of Women’s Asia Cup winners at a glance:

Brief scores: India 183/5 in 20 ovs (Verma 68, Mandhana 59; Praboda 1/40) beats Sri Lanka 111 in 20 ovs (Athapaththu 36; Sree Charani 4/20, Deepti 3/19).