India Women will face defending champions Sri Lanka Women in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 13. The high-profile clash will be India’s sixth consecutive appearance in the T20 Asia Cup final.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s India have remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and reached the final after beating Bangladesh Women by 40 runs in the semi-final. Shafali Verma starred with the bat, scoring 64 off 40 balls to help India post a strong total.
Sri Lanka have also enjoyed an unbeaten campaign and secured their place in the final after defeating Pakistan Women in the semi-final. Chamari Athapaththu’s side will be confident after producing several strong performances with both bat and ball, particularly through their spin-heavy bowling attack.
The final also gives India an opportunity to settle the score from the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final in Dambulla. Sri Lanka stunned India by eight wickets in that match. Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari guided their team to a win. India will now aim to regain the title on Sunday.
INDW vs SLW Match Preview & Recent Form
India Women showcased their batting and bowling strength in the semi-final against Bangladesh. After posting 149/6, India’s bowlers restricted Bangladesh to just 109 runs. Deepti Sharma and Nandani Sharma led the attack and kept the Bangladesh batters under pressure throughout the chase.
Shafali Verma has also been one of India’s biggest strengths in the tournament. She has scored 168 runs at a strike rate of 169.69, providing India with aggressive starts at the top of the order.
Smriti Mandhana is the leading run-scorer in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history with 633 runs, and her experience will be important in the final. India’s spin attack, featuring Deepti Sharma, N Shree Charani and Prema Rawat, could also play a major role on the slower Dubai surface.
Sri Lanka Women recovered from 33/4 in their semi-final against Pakistan. Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari led the chase. They also needed important middle-order contributions against Bangladesh and Indonesia during the group stage.
The defending champions will be concerned about their top order. Captain Chamari Athapaththu has scored only 63 runs in four innings, while Imesha Dulani has contributed 64 runs. Athapaththu has made a bigger impact with the ball, however, taking 11 wickets.
India also have the stronger overall head-to-head record, winning 25 of their 30 T20I meetings against Sri Lanka. They recently completed a 5-0 series sweep in December 2025 and have won nine of their last 10 matches against Sri Lanka.
INDW vs SLW Live Streaming, Live Telecast: Where To Watch Women's Asia Cup 2026 Final?
Fans in India can watch the live telecast of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final on the Sony Sports Network. The broadcaster will provide live coverage across its HD and SD channels.
Fans who prefer to watch the match online can stream the India vs Sri Lanka final live on the SonyLIV app and website. The coverage from Dubai will begin at 8:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local time).
INDW vs SLW Pitch Report: How Will Dubai International Cricket Stadium Play?
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has produced slow and low-scoring pitches during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. Only two teams have crossed the 150-run mark in the tournament. The surface has offered considerable assistance to spinners and bowlers who rely on cutters.
Batters could find stroke-making difficult as the ball gets older. Spinners are likely to play a key role during the middle overs, while batters will need to build their innings carefully. The team winning the toss could prefer to bat first and put pressure on the opposition with a competitive total.
Teams batting first have won nine of the 14 matches played at the venue during the tournament. A total in the 130-140 range could prove competitive in the final, especially if the pitch continues to slow down.
Dubai International Cricket Stadium (Women's Asia Cup 2026)
Total Matches: 14
Won Batting First: 9
Won Bowling First: 5
Average 1st Innings Score: 120
Average 2nd Innings Score: 77
Highest Team Total: 193/5 (India Women vs Hong Kong, China Women)
Lowest Team Total: 49 (Indonesia Women vs Sri Lanka Women)
Highest Score Chased: 134/6 (Sri Lanka Women vs Pakistan Women)
Lowest Score Defended: 119/9 (Pakistan Women vs Thailand Women)
Highest Individual Score: 124 (Smriti Mandhana, India Women vs Hong Kong, China Women)
Best Bowling Figures: 7/5 (Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka Women vs Indonesia Women)
INDW vs SLW Weather Forecast & Rain Threat at Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Temperatures are expected to remain around 36°C at the start of the match and stay at a similar level throughout the evening. Humidity will be around 45-47%.
There is no significant threat of rain, with the forecast showing a 0% chance of precipitation during the match. Dew could become a factor later in the evening, but the dry conditions should continue to assist the spinners. The ball may also grip the surface, making stroke-making difficult.
INDW vs SLW Team News & Injury Updates
India Women have maintained the same playing XI throughout their dominant campaign. Harmanpreet Kaur is expected to stick with the same combination in the final. The spin trio of Deepti Sharma, N Shree Charani, and Prema Rawat will be crucial on the slow Dubai surface.
Sri Lanka Women, meanwhile, have used 14 players during the tournament. In their semi-final win over Pakistan, Hasini Perera and Mithali Ayodhya replaced Vishmi Gunaratne and Chethana Vimukthi. Chamari Athapaththu is expected to retain the same combination for the final.
INDW vs SLW Predicted Playing 11 Today
India Women Predicted XI:
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma
Sri Lanka Women Predicted XI:
Imesha Dulani, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Sanjana Kavindi, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Chamudi Praboda, Mithali Ayodhya
INDW vs SLW Key Player Battles to Watch
Shafali Verma vs Sugandika Kumari:
Shafali Verma will look to attack from the first over and give India a fast start. Left-arm orthodox spinner Sugandika Kumari will aim to bowl a tight line and force Shafali to take risks against the turn.
Smriti Mandhana vs Mithali Ayodhya:
Smriti Mandhana has been one of India’s most reliable batters at the top of the order. Mithali Ayodhya can challenge her with pace and movement in the powerplay, making this an important contest early in the innings.
Harshitha Samarawickrama vs Deepti Sharma:
Harshitha Samarawickrama has repeatedly played important knocks for Sri Lanka when the top order has struggled. Deepti Sharma, one of the tournament’s leading wicket-takers, will look to control her scoring during the middle overs.
INDW vs SLW Key Players to Watch
India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma
Sri Lanka Women: Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari
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