India Women Beat Bangladesh By 40 Runs To Reach Record 10th Asia Cup Final

India's women's cricket team beat Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semifinal of the Women's Asia Cup 2026 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, extending their extraordinary record in the tournament to reach a final in every edition they have ever played.

Put in to bat after Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana won the toss and chose to field first, India posted a competitive total built around a fighting innings from opener Shafali Verma, who brought up her second half-century of this Asia Cup with a run off Fahima Khatun late in the innings, having survived a couple of early chances. Her innings anchored an otherwise shaky top order after Smriti Mandhana fell early, caught off a leading edge by Shorna Akter, and Pratika Rawal was dismissed for 20 attempting to push the scoring rate. Pratika Rawal's brief stay still contributed a flat six off Rabeya Khan that briefly threatened to open the game up for India.

Bowlers Seal The Contest

Chasing a target set by India's innings, Bangladesh never found the momentum needed to threaten a historic upset. India's varied bowling attack, which has troubled every opponent it has faced in the tournament, restricted Bangladesh to well below the target, sealing the 40-run victory and India's place in the final for a remarkable tenth consecutive time since the Women's Asia Cup began.

The result continues a dominant run through this year's tournament for Harmanpreet Kaur's side, who topped Group A without losing a match, including a 94-run win over Thailand, a 137-run victory against Hong Kong that featured a scintillating 124 off 64 balls from Smriti Mandhana, and a seven-wicket win over rivals Pakistan in which India bowled their opponents out for just 55 runs.

Bangladesh's Campaign Ends In Heartbreak

For Bangladesh, the defeat ends hopes of reaching only their second Women's Asia Cup final, and their first since they won the title in 2018. Nigar Sultana's side had shown resilience throughout the tournament, notably recovering from 55 for 6 in their group match against the UAE to post a competitive total, and their bowlers again showed flashes of discipline against India's top order. However, the gap in overall firepower between the two sides proved decisive, with India's middle order and bowling depth ultimately too strong on the day.

Seven-Time Champions Eye Another Title

India enter the final as seven-time champions and overwhelming favourites, with senior players such as Harmanpreet Kaur and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh adding experience to a batting unit that also features spin and pace options in Deepti Sharma, Sree Charani and Kranti Gaud. The tournament has doubled as a valuable audition for several younger players, with Shafali Verma's consistent form at the top of the order emerging as one of the standout stories of India's campaign so far.

India's opponent in the final, to be decided by the second semifinal, will have the unenviable task of trying to end a run that has now stretched to ten consecutive final appearances, a streak that stands as one of the more remarkable records in the history of women's cricket in Asia.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.