Can anyone stop India in Women's Asia Cup?
Dubai: India’s dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup continued on Thursday as they defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semifinal to reach the final for a record 10th consecutive time.
The victory extended India’s remarkable record in the competition. They have now reached the final for the 10th consecutive time, having appeared in every final since the inaugural tournament in 2004. India won the first six editions they contested between 2004 and 2016, before Bangladesh ended their perfect run with a shocking three-wicket victory in the 2018 final.
India bounced back by winning the 2022 edition, beating Sri Lanka in the final, but lost the 2024 title to the same opponents. Despite those setbacks, their overall record remains dominant, with seven titles from the nine completed editions before this year’s tournament. India have also won 47 of their 51 Asia Cup matches.
Their latest campaign has again highlighted the depth in the squad. Smriti Mandhana remains one of India’s key players at the top of the order, while Deepti Sharma continues to provide control and wickets with the ball.
Against Bangladesh, Shafali Verma stepped up with a 64-run innings before Deepti claimed three wickets as India defended 149 comfortably.
India has repeatedly found different match-winners across the years. That consistency has made them the benchmark in Asian women’s cricket.
With another final secured, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side now has one more opportunity to add an eighth Asia Cup title. Will someone be able to stop them just like the previous edition, only time will tell. For now, the Women in Blue remain undefeated in the tournament.
The final will take place on 12 September at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at 6:30 PM local time. India now waits for their opponent as defending champions Sri Lanka and Pakistan battle for a spot in the final.