India vs Sri Lanka: Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 final – schedule, teams, form

EXPLAINERIndia vs Sri Lanka: Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 final – schedule, teams, formAiming for a record-extending eighth title, India take on defending champions Sri Lanka in Sunday’s final in Dubai.Shafali Verma has been one of India's top performers at the Women's Asia Cup 2026 [Francois Nel/Getty Images]Published On 12 Sep 2026Who: India vs Sri Lanka What: Women’s T20 Asia Cup final Where: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates When: Sunday, September 13, 6:30pm local time (14:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 3:30pm local time (13:30 GMT) before our live text commentary stream.Record seven-time winners India face defending champions Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final on Sunday, as the 15-match competition in the United Arab Emirates readies itself for its closing act.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘I’m going for it’ – Shelton advances to US Open final for Zverev showdownlist 2 of 4Three-peat on the cards? Sabalenka faces Rybakina in US Open showdownlist 3 of 4Razaullah’s six-hitting debut caps Pakistan’s fightback against Englandlist 4 of 4City boss Enzo Maresca says spotlight not on him ahead of Manchester derbyend of listIn a tournament which has largely yielded low-scoring contests, both Indian and Sri Lankan spin units have tasted success – Deepti Sharma spearheading the heavyweights’ charge and captain Chamari Athapaththu leading by example for the title holders.Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s terrific top-order pairing has further strengthened India’s title bid at the tournament, where both teams boast a perfect record.Having reached the final in every edition of the Women’s Asia Cup they have played, India are favourites to add another trophy to their glittering cabinet.But Sri Lanka possess a threat of their own – they are one of only two sides who have beaten India in the title clash in past and will be eager to retain the trophy they proudly lifted two years ago.Before Sunday’s showdown, Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the game:Who did India and Sri Lanka beat in the semifinals?India defeated Bangladesh in the first semifinal on Thursday by 40 runs before Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by four wickets in Friday’s low-scoring thriller.When did India and Sri Lanka last meet?The pair last met in a T20 international in Thiruvananthapuram on December 30, 2025, as hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 15 runs, sweeping that series 5-0.Records swing heavily in India’s favour – they have won nine of their last 10 T20Is against Sri Lanka.How many Women’s Asia Cup titles have India won?India are the most successful team in the Women’s Asia Cup, having won a record seven titles.They won the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 editions, when the tournament was played in a one-day international format, as well as the 2012, 2016 and 2022 T20 editions.How many Women’s Asia Cup titles have Sri Lanka won?Sri Lanka have won the Women’s Asia Cup once, winning the last edition in 2024 after beating India by eight wickets in the final.Deepti Sharma attempts to run out Sobhana Mostary during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup semifinal match between India and Bangladesh [Francois Nel/Getty Images]Who are India’s key players?India’s openers Shafali and Mandhana are the top two leading scorers in the ongoing edition, having scored 168 and 154 runs each in four matches.Shafali has registered two half-centuries – scoring identical 64s against Thailand in the opener and Bangladesh in the semifinals – while Mandhana hit an incredible 124 against Hong Kong in the league phase.With the ball, all-rounder Deepti has been most impactful with her spin bowling, bagging a joint-highest 11 wickets with an average of 3.63.N Shree Charani has also played a key role with eight wickets and holds the record for the second-most economical bowler (3.27).Who are Sri Lanka’s key players?Captain Athapaththu, who bowls right arm off-break, has been Sri Lanka’s most impactful player, sharing the honours of the most wickets with Deepti at 11, with an average of 5.36. Left-arm orthodox bowler Sugandika Kumari has also contributed with six wickets.With the bat, top-order left-hander Harsthitha Samarawickrama has chipped in 89 runs for the fourth-highest scorer in the competition.Chamari Athapaththu has been impactful with the ball for Sri Lanka [File: Sameera Peiris/Getty Images]Form guideLast five matches, most recent first: India: W-W-W-W-L Sri Lanka: W-W-W-W-L What have the players said?India’s Deepti Sharma: “[This] team doesn’t take any team lightly … We always think as a team, ‘How we can do better in each and every game. As a collective team performance, how we can do better.’”Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu: “If we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team.”Probable India XISmriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani SharmaImesha Dulani, Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Sanjana Kavindi, Harsthitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wicketkeeper), Sugandika Kumari, Chamudi Praboda, Mithali Ayodhya