Triumphant India women return to Delhi after their successful Asia Cup campaign.
The Indian women’s team returned to New Delhi on Monday after clinching the Women’s Asia Cup title with a dominant victory over Sri Lanka in the final in Dubai.
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, pacer Renuka Thakur, Bharti Fulmali and Nandani Sharma were among the players spotted at Indira Gandhi International Airport as the champions returned home.
India delivered a commanding all-round performance in the final, posting 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111 in 20 overs. Sree Charani was the standout performer with the ball, claiming four wickets for 20 runs to help seal India’s emphatic victory.
The foundation for India’s imposing total was laid by their prolific opening pair. Shafali Verma smashed 68 off just 39 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, while Smriti Mandhana contributed 59 off 39 deliveries, with five fours and three sixes. The duo put together a record 129-run opening partnership to give India a commanding start.
Shafali finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, amassing 236 runs in five innings at an average of 47.20 and an impressive strike rate of 171.01. She registered three half-centuries, including a tournament-best 68, and also recorded the fastest fifty in Women’s Asia Cup history, reaching the milestone in just 24 balls.
Mandhana was not far behind, scoring 213 runs in five matches at an average of 42.60, including a century and a half-century. During the tournament, she surpassed Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket and also moved past Australia’s Meg Lanning for the most international centuries.
India’s spin duo of Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani were equally influential. Deepti claimed 14 wickets in five matches at an outstanding average of 4.21, while Charani finished with 12 wickets at 5.58. Charani saved her best performance for the final, returning impressive figures of 4/20.
However, India’s celebrations in Dubai were overshadowed by a controversy surrounding the trophy presentation.
Presentation ceremony controversy
The Indian team did not collect the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi following their victory over Sri Lanka. Naqvi, who also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, presented Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu with a cheque during the runners-up ceremony.
However, when it was India’s turn to receive the trophy, the players were absent from the presentation stage. The broadcast instead cut back to the studio, with no footage showing captain Harmanpreet Kaur or the Indian team receiving the trophy.
Before the presentation began, the Indian players had gathered in a huddle, with head coach Amol Muzumdar addressing the team. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla were also present. Saikia and Shukla presented the ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal to Nandani Sharma after her two catches in the final.
The incident echoed last year’s men’s Asia Cup, when India also declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. Following India’s victory over Pakistan in that tournament, the post-match presentation was delayed by around 90 minutes before the trophy was eventually removed from the stage.
