REIGNING champions India stormed into the women’s cricket T20I final at the Asian Games for a second successive edition on Sunday, confirming at least a silver medal and taking India’s medal tally to four at the continental showpiece. Shafali Verma (100 not out) became the first woman to score a hundred in the Asian Games. Women’s cricket team added confirmed medal by advancing to the gold-medal match with a crushing 114-run win over Bangladesh. Shafali Verma peeled off her maiden T20I century, an unbeaten 100 off just 49 balls, to power India to a formidable 195 for four after opting to bat.The Bangladesh chase then unravelled immediately with the side eventually bowled out for 81 in 15.4 overs. A STELLAR hundred from Shafali Verma and strong bowling outings from Nandni Sharma, Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani powered India women to a comfortable win over Bangladesh in the Asian Games semi-final on Sunday, moving into the gold-medal clash against Sri Lanka.

 

Shafali smashed her maiden white-ball century and became the first female cricketer to hit a ton in the Asian Games as her unbeaten 100 helped the Women in Blue rack up a strong score of 195-4. The bowlers backed that stellar effort as Nandni and Deepti starred with three wickets each, while No 1 T20I bowler Charani scalped two, bowling Bangladesh for 81 runs and registering a strong 114-run win. Harmanpreet Kaur’s Indian side will now meet Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lankan team in the gold-medal final, a repeat of the previous edition of the Asian Games final and the recently concluded Women’s Asia Cup final. India are the defending gold medallists of the continental showpiece, having won the yellow metal in the 2023 Hangzhou Games. Shafali and Smriti provided the Women in Blue with yet another strong start after India opted to bat first. Mandhana scored 37 from 19 balls as the duo put up 72 for the opening wicket in the Powerplay before the Southpaw sliced one to deep mid-wicket to fall on the last ball of the Powerplay. G Kamalini could make the most of her brief stay, struggling before holing one out to deep