Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 100 off 49 balls, becoming the first woman to score an Asian Games century
India posted 195/4 before bowling Bangladesh out for 81, winning the semi-final by 114 runs
India will face Sri Lanka in the final, with the defending champions assured of at least a silver medal
Shafali Verma produced an innings to remember as India stormed into the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket final, beating Bangladesh by 114 runs at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Sunday.
The India opener smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 49 balls, becoming the first woman to score a century in the history of the Asian Games cricket competition.
Her landmark knock propelled India to 195/4 after Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first. Bangladesh were then bowled out for 81 in 15.4 overs, leaving India with a place in the gold-medal match and at least a silver assured.
Shafali took charge from the outset, attacking Bangladesh’s bowlers with a combination of power and clean hitting. She struck nine sixes and three fours, reaching three figures from 49 deliveries.
She brought up the century with a single from the final ball of India’s innings before removing her helmet and soaking up the applause from her teammates and the crowd.
The century was not just Shafali’s maiden hundred in T20I cricket but also a new landmark for the Asian Games.
Before her explosive effort, Chamari Athapaththu held the record for the highest individual score by a woman in the competition, having made an unbeaten 83 against Pakistan earlier on Sunday.
Shafali rewrites the six-hitting record
Shafali’s nine sixes also gave her a share of the second-highest tally by a batter in a women’s T20I innings. Only Brazil’s Laura Agatha, who struck 11 sixes against Mexico in 2024, has cleared the ropes more times in a women’s T20I innings.
For India, however, Shafali now stands alone. Her nine maximums surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur’s previous Indian record of eight sixes, set against New Zealand during the 2018 T20 World Cup.
India collectively smashed 12 sixes, setting a new record for the most sixes by a team in a women’s T20I innings. The previous best was 11, achieved by both West Indies against Ireland in 2019 and Brazil against Mexico in 2024.
There was another piece of history tucked inside Shafali’s remarkable innings. She became the first batter to score a century in a women’s T20I in Japan, surpassing Hong Kong’s Natasha Miles, whose unbeaten 86 against Japan in 2022 had previously been the highest score in the country.
Mandhana makes history as India march on
While Shafali dominated the headlines, Smriti Mandhana also etched her name into the record books during the semi-final. Her 37 off 19 balls took her T20I tally to 4,788 runs, making her the leading run-scorer in women’s T20I cricket.
Mandhana also moved ahead of former New Zealand batter Suzie Bates, who had 4,758 runs, to become the highest run-scorer in T20I cricket across both men’s and women’s cricket.
Harmanpreet Kaur then added 40 off 33 balls and shared a crucial 94-run partnership with Shafali from just 55 deliveries, ensuring India finished with a formidable total.
Bangladesh had no answer to the target of 196. Dilara Akter top-scored with 27, but wickets fell regularly as India’s bowlers kept the pressure on. Deepti Sharma and Nandani Sharma claimed three wickets each, while Shree Charani took two as Bangladesh folded for 81.
India will now meet Sri Lanka in the Asian Games final, setting up another meeting between the two sides in a major tournament final.
