The Indian women’s cricket team returned to New Delhi on Monday, marking their arrival as the newly crowned Asia Cup champions. Members of the squad, including Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, and Nandani Sharma, were seen at the Indira Gandhi International Airport following their successful campaign at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India clinched the title after a resounding display in the final, setting a target of 183/5 and restricting Sri Lanka to 111 all out within 20 overs. Pacer Sree Charani delivered a match-winning performance, claiming 4 wickets for 20 runs to dismantle the opposition’s batting lineup.
The victory was built on a historic 129-run opening partnership between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. Verma dominated the scoring with 68 off 39 balls, featuring nine fours and two sixes, while Mandhana contributed 59 off 39 deliveries with five fours and three sixes. Verma concluded the tournament as the top run-getter, accumulating 236 runs across five innings at an average of 47.20 and a striking rate of 171.01, which included the fastest half-century in the competition’s history at 24 balls.
Mandhana also achieved significant milestones, scoring 213 runs throughout the tournament with an average of 42.60. Her performance saw her overtake Mithali Raj as the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket and surpass Meg Lanning for the highest number of international centuries.
India’s bowling attack was anchored by the spin duo of Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani. Sharma proved highly effective with 14 wickets in five matches at an average of 4.21, while Charani finished with 12 wickets at an average of 5.58, highlighted by her critical 4/20 return in the final.
Despite the on-field success, the championship conclusion was marred by a trophy presentation controversy. The Indian team did not collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Following the runners-up ceremony where Naqvi presented a cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, the Indian players were absent from the stage, leading broadcasters to cut to the studio.
Prior to the ceremony, the team had gathered for a huddle led by head coach Amol Muzumdar. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla were present on the sidelines and had previously awarded the ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal to Nandani Sharma for her two catches.
This incident follows similar tensions from the previous year’s men’s Asia Cup, where the Indian side also declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi. In another tournament instance, following a match against Pakistan, the trophy presentation was delayed by 90 minutes before being removed entirely.
The tournament concluded with various disciplinary actions and records, including a 10% match fee fine for an Indian player for a specific gesture, and the crowning of India as the winners of their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. Sri Lanka had secured their place in the final by defeating Pakistan in the previous round. The report also notes that including a tournament-best 68, and also registered the fastest women’s Asia Cup fifty, reaching the milestone in just 24 balls, she hit three fifties. The report also notes that the foundation for India’s imposing total was laid by their blockbuster opening pair. The report also notes that while there was no footage of captain Harmanpreet Kaur or the Indian team receiving the trophy, the broadcast instead cut back to the studio. The report also notes that will India ever get its Asia Cup trophies.