Dubai, September 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her team’s consistency and high standards after the Women in Blue defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the 2026 Asia Cup final to clinch a record-extending eighth continental title on Sunday.
Harmanpreet said India entered the tournament with clear standards and maintained them throughout the campaign, culminating in a commanding performance in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“We have certain standards, and we have to keep matching them every day. We are very happy with the way we all performed. The girls have done fabulously well throughout the entire tournament,” Harmanpreet said after the victory.
India posted 183/5 after being put into bat, with openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana producing a record 129-run partnership. It was the highest opening stand and the highest partnership for any wicket in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history.
Harmanpreet credited both openers for providing the foundation for India’s imposing total.
“We all knew it’s not that easy to come back, but our openers did an absolutely great job for us, the way they both batted, Smriti and Shafali,” she said.
She singled out Shafali for praise after the opener scored 68 off 39 balls and completed the fastest half-century in Women’s Asia Cup history, reaching her fifty in just 24 deliveries.
“Shafali had a very great tournament, and it’s good to see somebody like Shafali taking responsibility and doing the job with bat and ball. I can’t ask anything else from them,” Harmanpreet said.
India’s bowlers then completed the job, restricting Sri Lanka to 111. Shree Charani claimed four wickets, while Deepti Sharma took three as India secured a comprehensive victory.
Harmanpreet also thanked the Indian supporters for their continued backing of the team.
“They are our biggest support. Wherever we go, they’re always there to support us. In front of them, we always want to play great cricket and entertain them with our great performance,” she said.
The India captain added that seeing the fans celebrate the triumph made the victory even more special and expressed hope that the team would continue delivering performances that bring smiles to their supporters.
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