Harmanpreet Kaur Praises Shafali Verma’s Match-Winning Responsibility in Asia Cup Triumph

There was a lengthy delay for the presentations, which were attended only by Sri Lanka players. India’s players were absent, and neither the player of the match nor the player of the tournament were announced. The trophy was not handed over, rekindling memories of the men’s Asia Cup in 2025 when India refused to collect the trophy upon learning it would be presented by Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council president, PCB chief, and Pakistan’s interior minister. Naqvi was among the dignitaries present at the Dubai presentation on Sunday, though political relations between India and Pakistan remain strained. Shafali topped the Asia Cup run-charts with 236 runs across five innings and claimed two wickets. She finished the tournament with a blazing 68 off 39 balls as India cruised past Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final.

“I think Shafali had a great tournament, and it is wonderful to see someone like her taking responsibility and delivering with both bat and ball,” Harmanpreet said. “I cannot ask for anything more from her. It is all about playing good cricket, and I am very happy about that. We set incredibly high standards for ourselves, and we had to match them every day.”

Sunday’s victory was built by India’s openers, Shafali and Smriti Mandhana, who put on a record 129-run partnership—the highest for any wicket in the women’s T20 Asia Cup. Their formidable stand paved the way for India’s dominance in Dubai.
“Absolutely fantastic,” said Amol Muzumdar, the India head coach, praising the openers’ performance. “It was a great left-hand, right-hand combination. Shafali has her own unique style. The firepower and charisma she brings to the pitch put the opposition on the back foot. Smriti, as usual, has that flair and touch. They complement each other beautifully. I am glad they put on such a stellar display today.”

“I think our batting was really strong. We started off exceptionally well. That is exactly what we discussed in our meetings, and the girls executed it flawlessly.”

India batted first after winning the toss, a tactic head coach Muzumdar noted was deliberately planned, taking into account the slow nature of the Dubai pitches. Once India posted 183 for 5, their primary objective was neutralizing Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, which they accomplished early on, making the remainder of the match a straightforward affair. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 111.

“If you look at the entire tournament, the pitches were slower and turned quite a bit. So, setting a target and then defending it gave us the advantage of having three exceptional quality spinners in our ranks. I believe that was the predominant tactic: put the score on the board and then go out there and defend,” Muzumdar said.

“Then, we drew upon our experience from the five-match series we played in December against Sri Lanka in India, specifically how we dismissed Chamari. She is a very important wicket for Sri Lanka. So, that was the plan, and I am glad Deepti went on to execute it perfectly.”

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