India Women Cruise into Asian Games Gold Medal Clash After Shafali Verma’s Historic Century

When the Indian women’s side walked out onto the field in Hangzhou, there was a buzz in the air – everyone knew a semi‑final at the Asian Games can turn on a dime. But what unfolded was anything but a nail‑biting affair.

Electing to bat first, India piled up a massive 195 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs. The real show‑stopper? Shafali Verma, who smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 49 balls – the first century ever recorded in women’s Asian Games cricket. Nine sixes and three fours later, she had the crowd roaring.

She wasn’t alone. Opening partner Smriti Mandhana gave the innings a lightning start, flashing 37 runs from only 18 balls, and also chalked up her 100th six in T20 Internationals – a first for any Indian woman. Harmanpreet Kaur contributed a solid 40 off 33, anchoring a 94‑run partnership that kept the momentum humming.

The target of 196 was, frankly, a mountain for any side. Bangladesh tried to find footing, but early wickets (9 for 2) left them floundering. Dilara Akter offered a glimmer of hope with 27 off 23, yet the rest of the line‑up kept falling for single‑digit scores. By the time 15.4 overs were up, they were all out for a meagre 81.

India’s bowlers deserved as much credit as the batters. Nandani Sharma and Deepti Sharma each snagged three wickets, while Shree Charani added two more. The dismissals were spread nicely across the powerplay, making the chase look impossible from the get‑go.

With a 114‑run victory, India secured a berth in the gold‑medal showdown against Sri Lanka on September 22. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will battle Pakistan for the bronze.

It was a familiar script for India – dominant with both bat and ball – yet the century by Shafali added a fresh chapter to their Asian Games legacy. Fans will now turn their eyes to the final, hoping the Women in Blue can defend their crown once more.