Asian Games (W) 2026, BAN-W vs IND-W 2nd Semi-Final Match Preview

Defending gold-medal winners India start as overwhelming favourites against Bangladesh in the second semi-final of the Asian Games women’s competition on Sunday. India have just won the Asia Cup, beating Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India’s last defeat in a T20I came against Australia in the T20 World Cup in June and, since then, they have won six games in a row.

Spinners Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma have led the bowling in recent games, taking 74 wickets between them this year, while seamers Nandani Sharma and Kranti Gaud have played solid supporting roles.

India’s middle-order batting and catching were causes for concern at the Asia Cup, but overall, they have hardly been challenged by any Asian team of late.

Bangladesh will play their first match at the Asian Games after their quarter-final against China was washed out without a ball bowled. They have been a strong bowling side but with the bat, they have often been guilty of playing too many dot balls (they in their last game, the Asia Cup semi-final against India, they played out 64 dots and fell 40 short) and leaving runs behind. The likes of Sobhana Mostary, Nigar Sultana and Shorna Akter can score crucial runs and quickly, but collectively, their batting unit will have to step up for them to be competitive.

Bangladesh LWLWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the most recent meeting in the Asia Cup semi-final, India cruised to a a straightforward win. In the T20 World Cup earlier this year, India chased down Bangladesh’s 137 in 16.5 overs.

Bangladesh’s last win against India came in 2023.

In the spotlight: Marufa Akter and Shafali Verma

Bangladesh will look to Marufa Akter to provide the challenge with the new ball. The leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh this year with 24 strikes, Marufa has threatened batters with her swing. She has picked up at least a wicket in each of her last six T20I outings.

Shafali Verma entered the Asian Games on the back of a successful Asia Cup where she scored 234 runs, including fifties in the semi-final and final. Against Bangladesh, she has made four half-centuries in T20Is. In the opener against Japan, she picked up two wickets and smashed an unbeaten 40 off 15.

Bangladesh are likely to field the same team that played in the Asia Cup.

Bangladesh (probable) : 1 Dilara Akter, 2 Juairiya Ferdous, 3 Sobhana Mostary, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), 5 Sharmin Akter, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Nahida Akter, 9 Rabeya Khan, 10 Sultana Khatun, 11 Marufa Akter

The notable change in India’s XI against Japan was the return of offspinner Shreyanka Patil, who was out for three months after injuring her ankle. G Kamalini is expected to play at No. 3 after opening the innings against Japan.

India (probable): India: 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 G Kamalini, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Bharti Fulmali, 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Shreyanka Patil, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 N Shree Charani, 11 Nandani Sharma

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