September 14, Colombo (LNW): India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final in Dubai on Sunday, leaving the hosts of the challenge short of the target and securing an eighth title in the tournament.
Sent in to bat, India reached 183 for five from their allotted overs, building the foundation of their total through an opening stand led by Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana.
Verma struck 68 before her dismissal, while Mandhana contributed 59, giving India a strong platform during the first half of the innings. Harmanpreet Kaur made 14, Richa Ghosh added 17 and Kamalini Gunalan finished unbeaten on 15.
For Sri Lanka, Mithali Ayodhya, Chamari Athapaththu and Chamudi Praboda picked up a wicket apiece as they sought to restrict the scoring in the latter stages.
Needing 184 to lift the trophy, Sri Lanka were unable to maintain the required scoring rate and eventually folded for 111.
Athapaththu offered some resistance with 36, while Nilakshika Silva made 22 and Vishmi Gunaratne scored 20. The remainder of the batting line-up struggled to build partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Shree Charani was the chief destroyer with four wickets, while Deepti Sharma took three. Kranti Gaud, Verma and Prema Rawat claimed one wicket each.
The result ended Sri Lanka’s campaign with a sizeable defeat in the final, while India added another Asia Cup title to their record after controlling the contest with both bat and ball.
