India, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, remained unbeaten and, as a result, topped Group A with 6 points from 3 games in the league stage to book a spot in the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 semi-final. The Nigar Sultana Joty-led Bangladesh, on the other hand, finished 2nd in Group B with their lone defeat coming against Sri Lanka to book their spot for the knockout stages on 10th September 2026 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.
Both teams retained the same side that took the field in their respective previous clashes.
Off-spinner Sultana Khatun got the big scalp of the Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana in the 2nd over of the innings after the Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty won the toss and inserted India to bat first. Pratika Rawal joined Shafali Verma at the crease, and the duo led the recovery with a much-needed 50-run stand for the 2nd wicket.
Pratika Rawal (20 off 24 balls) gave away yet another promising start, as Rabeya Khan broke the stand to provide the crucial 2nd breakthrough for Bangladesh in the 10th over of the innings. The Indian batters continued to stitch substantial partnerships throughout the innings to keep the scoreboard moving. A quick-fire 21-run stand for the 5th wicket between skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (24* off 28 balls) and Deepti Sharma (13 off 6 balls) provided the finishing touches to the innings.
India posted 149/6 in their quota of 20 overs; the opening batter Shafali Verma (64 off 40 balls) registered another half-century, providing another solid start for India at the top of the order. Sultana Khatun (3-0-30-2), Rabeya Khan (4-0-22-1), Nahida Akter (4-0-25-1) and Fahima Khatun (4-0-21-0) were the top performers with the ball for Bangladesh.
Chasing a challenging total of 150, the Bangladesh openers Juairiya Ferdous and Dilara Akter got their side off to a brisk start with a 26-run opening stand. The introduction of spin worked as Shree Charani broke the stand by sending Juairiya Ferdous (14 off 18 balls) back to the pavilion in the final over of the powerplay to provide the much-needed first breakthrough for India.
Deepti Sharma removed Dilara Akter (21 off 26 balls) in the 8th over of the run chase. Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty joined Sobhana Mostary at the crease, and the duo stitched another promising 31-run stand for the 3rd wicket, which also took them past the 50-run mark. Deepti Sharma returned and cleaned up Sobhana Mostary (18 off 24 balls) back to the pavilion in the 14th over of the innings to provide the crucial 3rd breakthrough for her side.
Leg-spinner Prema Rawat landed a decisive blow by dismissing the opposition skipper Nigar Sultana Joty (19 off 17 balls) back to the pavilion in the 15th over of the innings. India applied the squeeze through spin, making it even more difficult for the batters to find the boundaries on a consistent basis.
A 26-run stand for the 6th wicket between Shorna Akter (22* off 18 balls) and Fahima Khatun (14 off 14 balls) wasn’t enough for their side as Bangladesh were eventually restricted to 109/7 in their quota of 20 overs, falling 40 runs short of the target. The Indian bowlers were super disciplined as there were no extras conceded in their defence of the total.
Deepti Sharma (4-0-26-3), Prema Rawat (4-0-21-1), Shree Charani (4-1-14-1) and Nandani Sharma (2-0-10-2) were the top performers with the ball for India. Shafali Verma (64 off 40 balls) was awarded the Player of the Match for her brilliant half-century, setting the tone for the innings in tricky conditions. Her knock included 7 boundaries and 3 sixes.
India booked their spot in the final for the 6th consecutive edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which will be played at the same venue on 13th September. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side awaits the winner of the 2nd semi-final featuring Sri Lanka and Pakistan, which will be played on 11th September 2026.
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