India will face defending champions Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final after the hosts beat Pakistan by four wickets in a tense semifinal.
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India and Sri Lanka set for Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final showdown(Photo: X)
Sri Lanka have booked their place in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final after beating Pakistan by four wickets in a tense second semi-final in Dubai on FridayChasing 131, the defending champions reached 131/6 in 18.4 overs to seal their place in the title clash against India.
Sri Lanka will now face Harmanpreet Kaur’s India in the final on SundayIt will be a repeat of the 2024 final, when Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets to win their maiden Asia Cup title.
Fatima Sana leads Pakistan’s fightback
Pakistan were in trouble early after being sent in to batThey slipped to 52/4 inside 10 overs before captain Fatima Sana stepped up with a crucial unbeaten 47 off 36 balls.
Fatima played a calm innings under pressure and helped Pakistan recover from a difficult positionShe kept the scoreboard moving through the middle overs and then pushed the scoring rate towards the end.
Shawaal Zulfiqar gave Pakistan a quick start with 24 off 16 balls, while Gull Feroza added 21 off 32Tuba Hassan also chipped in with an unbeaten 12 off 10 balls as Pakistan finished with 130/5 in their 20 overs.
Sri Lanka lose four wickets early
Sri Lanka did not get off to a good start in the chaseThe hosts were reduced to 33/4 after 6.2 overs, giving Pakistan a strong chance of pulling off an upset.
However, Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari changed the course of the inningsThe pair added 67 runs for the fifth wicket and brought Sri Lanka back into the contest.
Harshitha scored 36 off 31 balls, while Dilhari made 33 off 33Their partnership took Sri Lanka close to the target and put the pressure back on Pakistan.
Fatima strikes twice, but Sri Lanka hold their nerve
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana produced another important moment when she dismissed both Harshitha and Dilhari in the same overSri Lanka were then 109/6 and needed 22 runs from the final three overs.
Despite the late pressure, Nilakshika Silva and Kaushani Nuthyangana stayed calmSilva finished unbeaten on 13, while Nuthyangana remained not out on 14 as Sri Lanka completed the chase with eight balls leftESPNcricinfo’s scorecard confirms the successful 131-run chase.
India await Sri Lanka in the final
Sri Lanka’s win means India and Sri Lanka will meet again in the Asia Cup finalIndia entered the summit clash after beating Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semi-finalShafali Verma scored 64, while Deepti Sharma took three wickets as India defended 149/6.
India are chasing a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, while Sri Lanka will look to defend the crown they won in 2024With both teams now through to the final, another exciting chapter in their Asia Cup rivalry awaits on Sunday.
