Photo via Hindustan Times

India women reclaim Asia Cup with emphatic win over Sri Lanka

India captured their eighth overall Asia Cup championship by defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Sunday's Women's T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai, exacting revenge for their defeat in the 2024 decider where Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama had hit half-centuries. Opting to bat first, Harmanpreet Kaur's team reached 183 for 5, anchored by a 129-run first-wicket partnership between Shafali Verma, who struck 68 runs from 39 balls with nine boundaries and two sixes, and Smriti Mandhana, who hit 59 runs off 39 deliveries with five fours and three sixes.

Following Mandhana's run-out due to a mix-up with Harmanpreet (14), late contributions from Richa Ghosh (17 off 13) and Gunalan Kamalini (15 not out off five deliveries) helped finalize the imposing tally.

In response, the previously unbeaten Sri Lankans folded for 111 on the match's ultimate delivery despite 20 from Vishmi Gunaratne and 36 from Athapaththu, whose stumping off Deepti Sharma sparked a terminal collapse of four wickets conceding 18 runs between overs 13 and 16. India's spin attack stifled the chase, led by Shree Charani's 4 for 20, Deepti's 3 for 19, and Prema Rawat's 1 for 22.

Off the field, the team declined to accept the championship trophy from Asian Cricket Council head and Pakistan internal minister Mohsin Naqvi, mirroring the stance taken by the Indian men's squad the previous September, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia affirming the board's intent to collect both trophies at a later time.