India Women produced a dominant all-round performance to storm into the semifinals of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup after defeating Hong Kong by 137 runs in Dubai.
The victory was set up by a spectacular batting display from Smriti Mandhana, who smashed 124 runs off just 64 balls. Her explosive innings earned her the Player of the Match award and helped India post a formidable 193/5 in 20 overs.
Mandhana Creates History
Mandhana’s innings was not just about the huge score. The India vice-captain broke several major records during her sensational knock.
She crossed 10,868 international runs, overtaking legendary India batter Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket. Mandhana also registered her 18th international century, moving past Australia’s Meg Lanning, who had 17.
Her 124 also became the highest individual score in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history, surpassing Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, who had scored an unbeaten 119 in 2024.
Mandhana struck 14 fours and seven sixes, reaching her century in just 57 balls before eventually being run out in the final over.
Strong Start Gives India Momentum
Mandhana received valuable support from Shafali Verma, who scored 28 off 17 balls. The opening pair added 74 runs, giving India a strong platform.
Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh and captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed in the middle order as India finished on 193/5.
Indian Bowlers Complete the Job
Hong Kong’s chase never gained momentum. India’s bowlers maintained pressure from the opening overs and eventually dismissed Hong Kong for just 56 runs in 16.2 overs.
Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 3/9 from three overs. Prema Rawat, Nandani Sharma and Shree Charani claimed two wickets each as India’s spin-heavy attack dismantled the Hong Kong batting lineup.
Only a few Hong Kong batters managed to reach double figures, with captain Natasha Miles among the top scorers.
India’s Next Challenge
With the win, India became the first team to book its place in the semifinals. The team will next face Pakistan on September 5 in their next Group A match. The original information mentioning Afghanistan on September 13 appears to be incorrect based on the current tournament schedule and match reports.
