Nisshin, Sept 2026 : India women's cricket team began their title defence at the Asian Games in emphatic fashion, defeating hosts Japan by eight wickets in the fourth quarterfinal at Korogi Sports Park on Friday.
Chasing a modest target of 59, India raced to victory in just five overs, with opener Shafali Verma producing a blistering unbeaten 40 off only 15 balls. Earlier, left-arm spinner Sree Charani led India's bowling attack with an impressive four-wicket haul to restrict Japan to 58.
India promoted G Kamalini to open alongside Shafali, but the move did not yield the desired result as Kamalini was dismissed for a two-ball duck in the second over by Nonoha Yasumoto.
Shafali, however, immediately took control of the chase. She smashed four boundaries in the opening over, which yielded 17 runs, setting the tone for India's comfortable pursuit.
India suffered another setback in the third over when Bharti Fulmali was dismissed for six. The early wickets, though, did little to slow down Shafali, who continued her aggressive approach.
The explosive opener struck three more boundaries in the fifth over before finishing the contest in style with a six. Her unbeaten 40 came from just 15 deliveries and included several powerful strokes around the ground.
Richa Ghosh also contributed with a quick 12 off six balls, including two boundaries, as India completed the chase without any further trouble.
Earlier, Japan struggled against India's disciplined bowling attack after being asked to bat. Sree Charani, currently ranked the No. 1 bowler in T20Is, once again proved her effectiveness in the shortest format.
Charani returned outstanding figures of 4-10 from her four overs. Her spell was instrumental in preventing Japan from building any substantial partnership and helped India bowl out the hosts for a low total.
Charani had also played a key role in India's Asia Cup triumph, claiming four wickets for 20 runs in the final against Sri Lanka.
Shafali contributed with the ball as well, claiming two wickets, while Shreyanka Patil and Deepti Sharma picked up one wicket each. Patil was making her return from a lengthy injury layoff and contributed to India's dominant bowling performance.
With the comprehensive victory, India advanced to the second semifinal, where they will face Bangladesh on Sunday.
Bangladesh booked their place in the last four after their quarterfinal against China was washed out. As the higher-ranked team, Bangladesh advanced to the semifinal despite the match being abandoned.
The first semifinal on Sunday will feature Pakistan against Sri Lanka. The two teams will meet earlier in the day, with India and Bangladesh scheduled to contest the second semifinal later.
