India defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs to enter the Women's T20 Asia Cup final. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised the all-round effort, with Shafali Verma starring with the bat and Deepti Sharma with the ball on a challenging pitch in Dubai.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her team’s all-round effort as the team secured a place in the final of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup with a 40-run victory over Bangladesh in the first semifinal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. India posted a competitive total before their bowlers, led by spinner Deepti Sharma, restricted Bangladesh to seal a comfortable win.
Harmanpreet on All-Round Performance
Harmanpreet highlighted the importance of contributions from both bat and ball, especially on a challenging surface where spinners found assistance. "Happy the way things are going. Happy with the way our batting and bowling is going. There was a value to the good balls. If you were giving revs, then you were giving value to the balls. Spinners from both teams bowled well today; batters had it hard, spinners used the pitch really well," Harmanpreet said after the match.
The Indian skipper also lauded the impact of small partnerships, pointing out the contributions from Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma during the innings. "The small partnerships matter, especially on a pitch like this. Richa also played two few valuable shots. Deepti was excellent with the ball and got us a few breakthroughs," she added.
Shafali Verma on Difficult Conditions
Shafali Verma, who was named Player of the Match for her attacking knock, admitted the humid conditions made the contest difficult but said she focused on staying calm and playing according to the situation. "Very humid out there. Sometimes I can't even breathe, but I had to relax. I didn't get those balls early on, and I tried to play grounded, and I got a few chances," Shafali said.
The opener added that attacking during the powerplay remains her responsibility and she looked to provide the team with a strong start. "I know it's my job to hit sixes and fours in the powerplay - so trying to do that," she added.
Bangladesh Captain Admits to Failures
Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana admitted her side failed to execute their plans after putting up strong performances in their previous matches. "We didn't bowl well, unlike the other last three games. We fielded well in other games, not today; we put down chances. That was the pressure, I guess, just a bad day for the whole team," Nigar said.
She added that Bangladesh struggled to make an impact with the bat during the powerplay despite creating opportunities with the ball. "We really wanted to restrict them to a total we could chase; our batting powerplay was not good too. We bowled well, we created our chances... we couldn't capitalise," she said.
Nigar, however, said Bangladesh would look to adopt a more aggressive approach in future tournaments after a strong campaign. "I think we have achieved a lot, but one thing I felt we played limited... next time we want to play a more all-out game," she added.
Match Summary: India's Dominant Win
India stormed into the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 final after defeating Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semifinal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Batting first, India posted 149/6, powered by Shafali Verma’s explosive 64 off 40 balls, with valuable contributions from Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma. India’s spinners then restricted Bangladesh to 109/7, with Deepti Sharma taking 3/26 and Shree Charani adding 1/14.
The defending champions will face the winner of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan semifinal in the title clash. (ANI)
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