Dubai, September 2026 : India’s explosive opener Shafali Verma created history on Sunday by smashing the fastest half-century in the history of the Women’s Asia Cup, reaching her fifty from just 24 balls during the 2026 final against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
After India captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first, Shafali immediately switched into attacking mode. Opening alongside Smriti Mandhana, she provided India with another powerful start in the title clash.
Shafali took four deliveries to get off the mark but quickly found her rhythm after negotiating the initial deliveries. Once settled, the right-hander launched an aggressive assault on the Sri Lankan bowling attack, finding boundaries regularly and putting the opposition under pressure.
She completed her half-century in the eighth over with a boundary off Kavisha Dilhari, reaching the milestone in just 24 deliveries.
The blistering knock marked Shafali’s 21st T20I half-century and saw her break the previous record for the fastest fifty in Women’s Asia Cup history, which was held by her opening partner Mandhana.
Mandhana had scored a 25-ball fifty against Sri Lanka in Sylhet in 2022.
Fastest Fifties in Women’s T20 Asia Cup
- 24 balls: Shafali Verma (India) vs Sri Lanka, Dubai, 2026
- 25 balls: Smriti Mandhana (India) vs Sri Lanka, Sylhet, 2022
- 26 balls: Richa Ghosh (India) vs UAE, Dambulla, 2024
- 26 balls: Shafali Verma (India) vs Nepal, Dambulla, 2024
- 26 balls: Shafali Verma (India) vs Thailand, Dubai, 2026
The landmark fifty was also Shafali’s third half-century of the ongoing tournament. With that achievement, she joined Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu for the record of most fifties in a single edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup.
Athapaththu had registered four half-centuries during Sri Lanka’s victorious campaign in the 2024 edition.
India made one change to their playing XI for the final, bringing in G Kamalini in place of Pratika Rawal.
Speaking at the toss, Harmanpreet said India wanted to put a strong total on the board in the high-pressure final.
“We are going to bat first. It's a very important game for us; put up a score on the board. Every final is important; there is pressure, but we need to play good cricket,” she said.
Explaining the team change, the India captain added, “We have one change: Pratika is resting, and Kamalini is playing.”
With Shafali producing another explosive start, India gained early momentum in the championship decider as the opener continued her impressive run in the tournament and added another record to her growing T20 career.
