Sri Lanka Women vs India Women Final Full Commentary

We are back for the chase! The players are already out in the middle. Imesha Dulani and Chamari Athapaththu are the two openers for Sri Lanka Women. Kranti Gaud will start proceedings with the ball. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Sri Lanka's late fightback drags India back - It was a mixed bag on the bowling front for Sri Lanka Women, who found themselves thoroughly outclassed during the powerplay and middle overs as they failed to keep India's soaring run rate in check. However, Chamari Athapaththu’s side showed immense resilience to claw their way back into the contest when it mattered most. By choking the boundaries in the death overs and keeping the Indian middle-order quiet, the defending champions executed a disciplined damage-control routine. Restricting a rampaging Indian side to 183 gives the Sri Lankan batters a tough but manageable target to defend their continental crown.

A quick chat - Deepti Sharma says they were targeting a score in the range of 180-190 on a good batting surface, crediting Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana for their aggressive start. She adds that the openers played positively through the first six overs before accelerating further until the 10th over. Deepti says the bowling Powerplay would be equally important, with them looking to pick up a few wickets early and build on the momentum. She adds that although the surface was better for batting, they have a strong bowling attack and will look to hit the right areas. Deepti says it is always great to see the fans turn up and support the team, especially in a final. On a target for Sri Lanka, she feels restricting them to around 130-140 would be a good outcome for them.

Middle-order stutter curbs the momentum - Despite the launchpad provided by the openers, the Indian middle order failed to capitalize on the golden opportunity to post a mammoth total. Following the quick departures of the set openers, the incoming batters struggled to find their rhythm against a tightening field. The fluent strokeplay that defined the first half of the innings dried up as the middle order uncharacteristically stuttered, letting the initial momentum slip away. While a target near the 200-mark seemed a certainty at one stage, a cluster of quiet overs meant India had to settle for a total of 183.

Verma and Mandhana lay a blazing foundation - After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Indian openers put on an absolute masterclass to hand their side a dream head start in the Grand Final. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana took the Sri Lankan bowling attack to the cleaners, executing their strokes with supreme confidence on the Dubai surface. The lethal duo stitched together a phenomenal 129-run opening stand, completely shifting the momentum in India's favor before both batters departed in quick succession with the scoreboard reading 132. Verma led the charge with an explosive, top-scoring knock of 68, while vice-captain Mandhana anchored the other end brilliantly with a classy and solid 59.

Sugandika Kumari will bowl the final over.

Bharti Fulmali walks out to bat.

Who bowls the 19th? It will be Mithali Ayodhya.

The next batter in is Deepti Sharma.

Chamari Athapaththu will bowl out now.

From Asia Cup to Asian Games - And that brings our coverage of the Women's Asia Cup to a rather unusual close. The celebrations may not have quite followed the expected script, but the cricket has certainly given us plenty to remember from this tournament. The action, however, doesn't stop here. Both India Women and Sri Lanka Women now turn their attention to the Asian Games 2026, entering directly at the quarter-final stage. Sri Lanka take on Malaysia on Thursday, September 17, at 12 am GMT (5.30 am IST), before India face Japan later that day at 5 am GMT (10.30 am IST). Until next time, cheers and goodbye!

There is a familiar sight at the end of the presentation ceremony, reminiscent of what unfolded after the Men's Asia Cup final in 2025, when the Indian team did not collect the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi. This time too, the Indian Women's team are nowhere to be seen as the trophy presentation concluded, with Farveez Maharoof eventually calling time on the ceremony. No individual awards are announced either, bringing an unusual end to the celebrations on stage.

The captain of Sri Lanka Women - Chamari Athapaththu now collects the runners-up cheque from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi before making her way over for the post-match interview. She says that at the end of the day, they did not play their best cricket, especially with the ball, and need to learn from these mistakes, and we will certainly bounce back. Chamari adds that in this game the side struggled, but having played the final means they were good throughout, so this loss doesn't change much. She mentions that many players took their game forward and made valuable contributions throughout the tournament. Harshitha Samarawickrama, Chamudi Praboda and Nilakshika Silva, in particular, stood out with their performances.

It's time for the Sri Lanka Women players and coaching staff to make their way onto the stage and collect their runners-up medals, led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu. A moment of recognition for a team that fought hard throughout the tournament before finishing second-best on the night.

Chamari Athapaththu signs the match ball before special mementos are presented to the match officials in recognition of their contribution to the final, marking another warm moment as the presentation ceremony gets underway.

While we wait for the presentation ceremony to begin, the entire India Women squad gathers in a huddle, with BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia applauding the players alongside BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla. The duo also present Nandani Sharma with a medal in recognition of her excellent fielding effort in the final, adding another special moment to the celebrations.

Presentation Time...

A fitting finish - India Women's pacers set the tone early, with Kranti Gaud striking in the very first over while Nandani Sharma kept things tight from the other end. Sri Lanka did manage to build a partnership, but Deepti Sharma's brilliance in the 10th over changed the game, as she removed both set batters and India never loosened their grip from there. Sree Charani led the charge with a superb 4/20, while Prema Rawat and Shafali Verma chipped in with a wicket apiece. Fittingly, it was Deepti who had the final say, completing a three-wicket haul with the last ball of the final. The only blemish for India was their fielding, with five catches going down. It did not hurt them here, but against stronger opposition, such lapses could prove costly and are an area they will want to sharpen.

We conclude with G Kamalini - She says that winning a title for India is a feeling that can not be expressed. Kamalini adds that this tournament has given a lot of learning, and she and her seniors will carry it whenever they score or get out early is something that she'll keep in mind always.

Time for one of the quicks to say a few words - On winning her first major title, Nandani Sharma says that she is feeling really well to win it after the injuries she had suffered recently. Nandini credits the staff and teammates for the plan they gave her to keep Chamari on the back foot. Nandini adds that they will enjoy it here and then practice hard and work on their mistakes again. On Deepti, she adds that she is the one they all look up to whenever they need a wicket, and she always produces for the side.

Next up is Richa Ghosh - She says that the atmosphere adds a lot to the victory, as it made them feel they were at home. Richa adds that the wicket was good to bat on early in the game but slowed as the game went on so the runs at the top were key. Richa mentions that her role in the side is to score quick runs and the position she plays at makes her scoring run even more joyful for everyone.

Head Coach of India Women - Amol Muzumdar says he is proud of the players and the support staff as well. Amol adds that the batting clicked well and what was discussed in the team meeting was executed on the ground. Amol mentions that the pitch was on the slower side and it turned as well in the second innings so they won a good toss and the way the openers made good use of the freshness off the deck was tremendous. Amol praises Verma and Smriti for the flair and fire they show at the top. Amol reckons that they took a lot of learnings from the series they played against Sri Lanka Women to prepare for Chamari Athapaththu and the rest, and it worked.

Let's hear from India Women's skipper - Harmanpreet Kaur says that they are feeling really well and the team played to their standards and did not get complacent at all. On scoring 180 plus Harmanpret says that the opening pair did a perfect job for us, and Shafali Verma in particular had a brilliant tournament, and the way she matured during the tournament is heartening to see. Kaur thanks the crowd for their tremendous support.

India Women posted a commanding total - Earlier in the game, India Women put a formidable total on the board, although they would have wanted a few more after the way they started. The openers set the final alight with a magnificent 129-run stand, both bringing up fine fifties, but the middle order could not quite carry the momentum forward. G Kamalini's late burst of 15 off just five balls, however, pushed India past 180, a total that was well above par on this surface. It was a difficult outing with the ball for Sri Lanka, although they did manage to pull things back in the second half. Mithali Ayodhya, Chamari Athapaththu and Chamudi Praboda chipped in with a wicket apiece, but Sri Lanka Women needed far more from their bowling attack if they were to put up a serious fight.

Sri Lanka Women collapse under pressure - Despite losing an early wicket, Sri Lanka kept themselves in the game through a fighting 58-run stand between Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne. But with the required run rate climbing rapidly, both batters had to take their chances and were dismissed in the same over for 36 and 20 respectively. That proved to be the turning point, as Sri Lanka never recovered from there. The middle order simply folded under the pressure, with no fight forthcoming as Sri Lanka slumped from 63/3 to 104/8. The writing was already on the wall, and the innings eventually ended at 111 all out on the last ball, bringing their chase to a disappointing conclusion.

The Queens of Asia - India Women have reclaimed the Asian throne in emphatic fashion, avenging their defeat to Sri Lanka Women in the 2024 final. The Women in Blue have now lifted a record eighth Women's Asia Cup title, underlining once again their dominance in the continental game and their status as one of the forces to beat in world cricket.

Chamudi Praboda is in last to bat.