New Delhi, Sept. 14: India won the Women’s Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the 2026 final on Sunday, with contributions from both the batting and bowling units.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the Indian team following the victory. Modi called the result a “proud moment” for Indian cricket, while Murmu said the players had made the country proud and described them as an inspiration for India’s youth.
India posted 183/5 after Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put together a record 129-run opening partnership. Sri Lanka were subsequently dismissed for 111, giving India a 72-run victory.
Shafali scored 68 from 39 deliveries and registered the fastest half-century in the tournament’s history, reaching the milestone from 24 balls. Mandhana added 59 off 39 balls during their opening stand.
Sri Lanka reduced the scoring rate during the latter part of India’s innings after captain Harmanpreet Kaur was dismissed for 14 at No. 3 and Richa Ghosh fell for 17. G Kamalini, playing her first match of the tournament, contributed 15 from five balls.
India’s bowlers then restricted Sri Lanka to 111 all out. Shree Charani took four wickets for 20 runs, while Deepti Sharma claimed three for 19. Chamari Athapaththu scored 36 for Sri Lanka, with Nilakshika Silva contributing 22.
The result marked India’s sixth victory over Sri Lanka in Asia Cup finals across the ODI and T20 formats, including the 2004 two-team tournament, when India defeated Sri Lanka 5-0.
The title also followed India’s loss to Sri Lanka in the 2024 final.
In his message on X, Modi praised the team’s confidence, consistency and spirit and expressed hope that the victory would encourage young people across the country to take up sport. Murmu said the team had won all its matches in the tournament and described its players as a source of inspiration, particularly for young women.
