India Women aim to secure cricket medal as Bangladesh await in Asian Games semis
For India Women, another Asian Games cricket medal is now just one victory away. The defending champions face Bangladesh in the semi-final in Nagoya on Sunday, with a place in the gold-medal match on the line.
India arrived in the last four after making short work of hosts Japan, winning by eight wickets. Bangladesh took a very different route, progressing from a rain-hit quarter-final against China without a ball being bowled. Now, two familiar opponents meet again with a medal within touching distance.
India also have recent history on their side, having beaten Bangladesh by 40 runs in the Women's Asia Cup 2026 semi-final earlier this month. Against Japan, however, they used the comfortable contest to try out a few combinations. With much more at stake on Sunday, India are expected to return to their regular batting order.INDIA MAKE LIGHT WORK OF JAPAN India beat Japan by 8 wickets in the quarterfinal. Courtesy: BCCI Women
After Harmanpreet Kaur opted to field, India's bowlers quickly put Japan under pressure before dismissing them for 57 in 19.5 overs. Left-arm spinner Sree Charani was the standout, finishing with figures of 4-2-10-4, while Shafali Verma chipped in with two wickets.
The chase was over in just five overs. Shafali launched an unbeaten 40 off 15 balls, striking six fours and two sixes, while Richa Ghosh finished on 12 not out from six deliveries.
The one-sided nature of the game also allowed India to tinker with their batting order. Kamalini opened with Shafali, Bharti Fulmali came in at No.3 and Richa was promoted to No.4. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet did not need to bat.BANGLADESH ADVANCE AFTER RAIN WASHOUT
Bangladesh's path to the semi-final was considerably shorter. Their quarter-final against China was abandoned without a ball being bowled after persistent rain left the Korogi Sports Park outfield unfit for play.
They progressed as the higher-ranked side, having entered the match 10th in the ICC Women's T20I rankings, compared with China's 36th.
Bangladesh will now face an Indian side they met only recently. In the Asia Cup semi-final, India posted 149 for six, with Shafali making 64 off 40 balls, before restricting Bangladesh to 109 for seven for a 40-run win.INDIA LOOK TO REPEAT 2023 SUCCESS India beat Bangladesh in the Women's Asia Cup 2026 semis. Courtesy: ACC
There is another chapter to this rivalry at the Asian Games. In Hangzhou in 2023, India beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the semi-final to assure themselves of a medal. Their quarter-final against Malaysia had earlier been washed out.
India went on to beat Sri Lanka in the final and claim gold. They are now seeking to retain that title in Aichi-Nagoya, and another win over Bangladesh would again put them into the medal rounds.
With a place in the gold-medal match at stake, Mandhana and Harmanpreet are expected to return to the batting order after sitting out the Japan chase. Richa could also move back to her usual position after being promoted against Japan.
The winner will move into the gold-medal match, while the losing side will have one more chance to finish on the podium in the bronze-medal playoff.When to watch India vs Bangladesh womenβs cricket semifinal in Asian Games 2026
The womenβs cricket semifinal between India and Bangladesh will start at 10:30 AM IST and 2 PM local time.Where to watch India vs Bangladesh womenβs cricket semifinal in Asian Games 2026
Sony Sports Network has the broadcasting rights for the Asian Games. Live Streaming of the match will be available on Sony LIV.advertisementHead-to-HeadMatches - 25, India - 22, Bangladesh - 3Predicted XIs for India vs Bangladesh
