India Beat Sri Lanka by 72 Runs to Win Women’s Asia Cup for Eighth Time, Refuse Trophy from Mohsin Naqvi
India created history by defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final to lift the prestigious title for the eighth time. The Indian women’s cricket team delivered a dominant all round performance in the final, with explosive batting at the top and a sensational bowling display helping the team secure a comprehensive victory.
However, the post match presentation ceremony became the biggest talking point of the final. The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council President and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Naqvi is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and had made statements critical of India during the period surrounding Operation Sindoor. India’s decision to not accept the trophy from him followed the same position taken by the Indian men’s cricket team in 2025.
Despite the controversy off the field, India remained unstoppable on it. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma produced a record breaking opening partnership, while Shri Charani delivered a devastating bowling performance to seal India’s emphatic victory.
India Dominate Sri Lanka in a Powerful Final
India entered the Women’s Asia Cup final with confidence and produced a commanding performance from the opening over.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave India a spectacular start. The two openers attacked the Sri Lankan bowling attack and quickly shifted the momentum in India’s favour.
Their 129 run opening partnership became the biggest partnership for any wicket in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup.
Shafali was particularly destructive during the powerplay, taking on the Sri Lankan bowlers with fearless strokeplay. Mandhana provided the perfect support at the other end with her trademark timing and elegant batting.
India eventually secured a convincing 72 run victory and added another major trophy to their impressive record in women’s cricket.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma Create History
The biggest highlight of India’s batting performance was the record partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma.
Record 129 Run Opening Partnership
Mandhana and Shafali put together 129 runs for the first wicket. It became the highest partnership for any wicket in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history.
Their performance demonstrated why the Indian opening combination has become one of the most dangerous partnerships in women’s T20 cricket.
The duo attacked the bowlers from the beginning and ensured India had a strong platform in the final.
Sixth Century Partnership for Mandhana and Shafali
The record breaking partnership also brought another major achievement.
Mandhana and Shafali have now registered six century partnerships in Women’s T20 International cricket. With this achievement, they equalled the record held by UAE’s Esha Oza and Theertha Satish.
The consistency of the Indian opening pair has become one of the biggest strengths of the national team.
Shafali Verma Smashes Fastest Fifty of the Tournament
Shafali Verma produced a breathtaking innings in the final and completed her half century in just 24 balls.
Her explosive fifty became the fastest half century in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup.
Shafali’s aggressive approach immediately put Sri Lanka under pressure. She attacked the bowlers with powerful strokes and ensured India maintained a high scoring rate during the crucial opening phase.
Her performance once again highlighted her reputation as one of India’s most destructive T20 batters.
India Hit Most Sixes in Women’s Asia Cup 2026
India’s dominance was not limited to the final.
Throughout the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026, Indian batters displayed remarkable power hitting. India finished the tournament with 32 sixes, the highest number among all teams.
Sri Lanka were second on the list with eight sixes.
The massive difference underlined India’s aggressive batting approach throughout the tournament. The Indian team consistently looked to attack the bowling and score quickly rather than relying only on conventional strokeplay.
Mohsin Naqvi Trophy Controversy Takes Centre Stage
The biggest controversy of the final came during the presentation ceremony.
Mohsin Naqvi, who is the President of the Asian Cricket Council and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, was present to conduct the presentation.
However, the Indian team refused to accept the trophy and medals from him.
The decision immediately became a major talking point because of the political tensions between India and Pakistan and Naqvi’s position in the Pakistani government.
India Maintains Its Previous Position
India had already taken a similar position in 2025 when the men’s cricket team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi.
The women’s team followed the same stance during the 2026 final.
The decision was reportedly taken at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s level rather than being an individual decision by the players.
The Indian team subsequently celebrated its title victory without accepting the trophy directly from Naqvi.
Amol Muzumdar Says the Decision Was Made by BCCI
India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar addressed the controversy after the match.
Muzumdar made it clear that the decision regarding the trophy presentation had been taken by the BCCI and that the team stood firmly behind the decision.
He also emphasized that the tournament was over for India and that the team had achieved its main objective by becoming champions.
The head coach praised the players and support staff for their outstanding efforts throughout the competition.
He also indicated that the team’s attention would now shift towards the Asian Games.
BCCI Offered Two Alternatives for the Presentation
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also provided details about the trophy presentation dispute.
According to the BCCI, the Indian team did not want to receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi.
The board reportedly suggested two alternative arrangements.
First Alternative
The first proposal was to have ACC Deputy Chairman Khalid Al Zarooni present the trophy to the Indian team.
Second Alternative
The second option was to follow the recent tradition of having a representative from the winning cricket board present the trophy.
However, neither option was accepted by Naqvi.
As a result, the planned presentation for the Indian team did not take place in the usual manner.
Fans Chant Against Mohsin Naqvi
The controversy became even more intense inside the stadium.
Some fans reportedly taunted Mohsin Naqvi by calling him a thief during the presentation ceremony.
Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media and added another dramatic layer to an already controversial presentation.
The incident highlighted how political tensions between India and Pakistan continue to influence the atmosphere around major cricket tournaments.
While the controversy dominated the headlines after the match, India’s players remained focused on their achievement on the field.
Naqvi Presented Medals to Sri Lanka
Mohsin Naqvi still appeared on stage during the presentation ceremony.
He presented medals to the Sri Lankan players and handed the runners up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu.
The Indian team, however, did not collect its trophy and medals from Naqvi.
After the presentation involving Sri Lanka was completed, the ceremony was brought to an end.
The unusual conclusion to the ceremony quickly became one of the defining moments of the tournament.
Sri Lankan Fielder Vishmi Gunaratne Suffers Injury
The final also witnessed a worrying injury incident during India’s innings.
During the fifth over, Sri Lankan fielder Vishmi Gunaratne suffered an injury while attempting to throw the ball.
Her right ankle twisted badly and she immediately went down in pain.
The Sri Lankan medical staff and physiotherapist rushed onto the field. After an assessment, she was taken from the field on a stretcher.
However, she later returned to bat during Sri Lanka’s innings and scored 20 runs.
Her return showed remarkable determination despite the earlier injury scare.
Smriti Mandhana Run Out While Attempting a Quick Single
Smriti Mandhana’s innings ended in an unusual fashion.
During the 14th over, Mandhana attempted to steal a single following a cut shot from Harmanpreet Kaur.
Sri Lankan fielder Kavisha Dilhari reacted quickly and produced an accurate throw towards the wicketkeeper.
The wicketkeeper broke the stumps and Mandhana was run out.
By that point, however, Mandhana had already played a crucial role in giving India a commanding platform.
Shafali Verma Scores 675 T20 Runs in 2026
Shafali Verma’s performance in the final also added another remarkable achievement to her 2026 campaign.
She has now scored 675 runs in T20 cricket during the calendar year.
This puts her second among Indian batters for the most T20 runs scored in a calendar year.
Smriti Mandhana currently holds the top position after scoring 763 runs in 2024.
The figures underline the extraordinary consistency of India’s opening duo.
Both Mandhana and Shafali have played a major role in India’s success and have repeatedly provided explosive starts in T20 cricket.
Shri Charani Produces a Match Winning Bowling Spell
While the openers gave India a powerful start, the bowlers completed the job in spectacular fashion.
Shri Charani delivered one of the most impressive bowling performances of the final, taking four wickets for just 20 runs.
Her spell dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order and played a decisive role in India’s 72 run victory.
Charani Breaks Indian Calendar Year Record
With four wickets in the final, Shri Charani took her tally to 39 T20 wickets in 2026.
She surpassed former India spinner Poonam Yadav’s record of 35 wickets in a calendar year.
Charani has therefore become the Indian bowler with the most T20 wickets in a single calendar year.
It was another outstanding achievement in what has been a breakthrough campaign for the young spinner.
Third Bowler to Take Four Wickets in Women’s Asia Cup Final
Charani also entered the record books by becoming only the third bowler to claim four wickets in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup final.
Her figures of four wickets for 20 runs proved crucial in restricting Sri Lanka and securing India’s dominant victory.
Her performance demonstrated the strength and variety of India’s bowling attack.
India Complete a Historic Women’s Asia Cup Campaign
The Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final produced several remarkable records for India.
The team won the Asia Cup for the eighth time after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs.
Mandhana and Shafali established the biggest partnership in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history.
Shafali recorded the fastest fifty of the tournament, reaching the milestone in just 24 balls.
The opening pair also registered their sixth century partnership in Women’s T20 International cricket.
India finished the tournament with 32 sixes, comfortably the most among all participating teams.
Shri Charani finished the calendar year with 39 T20 wickets and became India’s leading wicket taker in a calendar year.
She also became only the third bowler to claim four wickets in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup final.
India Look Ahead to the Asian Games
With the Asia Cup trophy secured, the Indian women’s cricket team will now turn its attention towards the Asian Games.
The tournament victory provides India with tremendous momentum and confidence ahead of the next major challenge.
The performances of Mandhana, Shafali, Charani and the rest of the squad demonstrate that India’s women’s team has developed significant strength across both batting and bowling departments.
The team’s aggressive batting, powerful opening partnership and disciplined bowling attack have made India one of the strongest forces in women’s T20 cricket.
Conclusion
India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 triumph was far more than another championship victory.
The emphatic 72 run win over Sri Lanka delivered the country’s eighth Asia Cup title and produced a series of spectacular individual and team records.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma provided a sensational start with a record 129 run partnership, while Shafali’s 24 ball fifty became the fastest in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history.
At the other end, Shri Charani delivered a devastating four wicket spell and broke the Indian record for most T20 wickets in a calendar year.
The trophy presentation controversy involving Mohsin Naqvi added another dramatic dimension to the final. India’s decision not to accept the trophy from him showed that the team and BCCI were maintaining the same position adopted in 2025.
Despite the off field controversy, the most important message came from the cricket itself.
India were dominant, fearless and ruthless when it mattered most.
The eighth Women’s Asia Cup title is another powerful milestone for Indian women’s cricket and a clear indication that the team is building towards an even more successful future.
