Shafali Verma's Historic Century Powers India Women into Asian Games 2026 Cricket Final
Indian opening batter Shafali Verma produced a magnificent performance at the 2026 Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, smashing an unbeaten 100 off just 49 deliveries against Bangladesh in the semi-finals. Verma's blistering knock, featuring nine sixes and three boundaries, made her the first female cricketer ever to score a century at the Asian Games. It also equalled the record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian woman. Alongside her, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana etched her name in record books by surpassing New Zealand's Suzie Bates to become the highest run-scorer in women's T20I history.
Powered by Verma's ton and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's 40, India posted a formidable total of 195/4 in their allotted 20 overs. In response, Bangladesh collapsed under immense pressure, managing only 81 runs in 15.4 overs. Indian spinners Deepti Sharma and Nandani Sharma spearheaded the bowling attack, taking three wickets each to dismantle the Bangladeshi batting line-up. With this dominant 114-run win, defending champions India secured a spot in the gold medal match against Sri Lanka scheduled for September 22.
