Shafali Verma Century: 49-Ball Hundred Creates Asian Games History in Semi-Final

Shafali Verma Century: 49-Ball Hundred vs Bangladesh Creates Asian Games History

Shafali Verma produced one of the biggest innings of the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket competition, smashing an unbeaten 100 from just 49 balls as India defeated Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final and booked their place in the gold-medal match. The Indian opener struck nine sixes and three fours at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, powering India to 195/4 before the bowlers dismissed Bangladesh for only 81 in 15.4 overs.

The Shafali Verma century was historic beyond the match result. It was her maiden T20I hundred and the first century scored in the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games. Coming only two days after her unbeaten 40 from 15 balls against Japan in the quarter-final, the innings has turned Shafali into one of India’s defining performers of the knockout stage.

India will now face Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket gold-medal match on September 22, giving the defending champions an opportunity to win another Asian Games title.

For the complete semi-final coverage, playing details and tournament context, see India Women vs Bangladesh Women Asian Games 2026.

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Shafali Verma Century vs Bangladesh – Match Summary

The original version of this article was published while Bangladesh’s chase was still underway, but the final result turned an outstanding individual innings into a dominant knockout victory. India had already placed Bangladesh under enormous pressure with 195 on the board, and the bowlers made sure there was no realistic route back into the contest.

Shafali Verma’s 49-Ball Hundred Creates Asian Games History

This was not a century built through cautious accumulation. Shafali attacked Bangladesh throughout the innings and finished with a strike rate above 200, scoring 100 not out from 49 balls with three fours and nine sixes. The volume of sixes was particularly striking: 54 of her 100 runs came from shots that cleared the boundary.

More importantly, the hundred arrived in a semi-final rather than a low-pressure group game. India were playing for a place in the gold-medal match, yet Shafali maintained her attacking approach from the top of the order. Her innings gave India the kind of total that forced Bangladesh to chase at close to 10 runs per over from the beginning.

The century also carried a significant personal milestone. It was Shafali’s maiden T20I hundred and made her the first centurion in Asian Games women’s cricket.

Shafali’s Historic Hundred by Numbers

The significance of the Shafali Verma century therefore goes beyond three figures. She produced the innings in a knockout match, helped India set the highest possible pressure on Bangladesh and then watched the bowlers turn that advantage into a 114-run victory.

India Reach 195/4 as Shafali Controls the Innings

Shafali was the central figure, but India also received useful contributions around her. Smriti Mandhana gave the innings immediate momentum with 37, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 40 and helped maintain the scoring rate through the middle overs. Shafali remained at the crease until the end, ensuring India did not lose the momentum created during the first half of the innings.

That batting performance gave Bangladesh a target of 196, which required an asking rate of 9.80 from the first over. In a knockout match, the combination of scoreboard pressure and India’s bowling depth made the chase increasingly difficult once early wickets began to fall.

Bangladesh Bowled Out for 81 as India Win by 114 Runs

Bangladesh never came close to matching India’s batting performance. Their chase ended at 81 in 15.4 overs, giving India a massive 114-run victory and a place in the gold-medal match. Nandini Sharma and Deepti Sharma were particularly influential with the ball, taking three wickets each as Bangladesh’s batting order collapsed.

The result was considerably more one-sided than the teams’ previous major knockout meeting only ten days earlier. India had beaten Bangladesh by 40 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup semi-final; this time the margin increased to 114.

That recent rivalry can be explored in more detail through India Women vs Bangladesh Women Stats & Records, which covers their wider head-to-head numbers and important meetings.

Shafali Verma’s Remarkable 2026 Run Against Bangladesh

One reason Sunday’s hundred stands out is that Bangladesh have repeatedly encountered Shafali in major tournaments during 2026. She scored a quick fifty when India beat Bangladesh during the Women’s T20 World Cup in June, then produced another match-defining innings when the teams met in the Women’s Asia Cup semi-final earlier this month.

In that September 10 semi-final, Shafali scored 64 from 40 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. India made 149/6 before restricting Bangladesh to 109/7 and winning by 40 runs; Shafali was named Player of the Match.

Ten days later, Bangladesh faced her again in another semi-final. This time she went all the way to an unbeaten hundred.

The sequence of 53, 64 and 100* across three major tournaments makes the century more than an isolated performance. Shafali has repeatedly produced significant runs against the same opponent when the stakes have been high.

Readers who want the details of the previous knockout meeting can see India Women vs Bangladesh Women Semi-Final Result.

From 40* vs Japan to 100* vs Bangladesh

Shafali entered the Bangladesh semi-final already in destructive Asian Games form. India had faced hosts Japan in the quarter-final on September 18, dismissing them for only 57 before completing the chase in five overs. Shafali finished unbeaten on 40 from only 15 balls, ensuring India spent very little time under pressure.

Two days later, she followed that innings with 100 not out from 49 balls against Bangladesh.

That is an extraordinary two-match sequence for an opening batter in the knockout phase of a multi-sport tournament. Shafali has scored 140 runs across the two innings without being dismissed, while India have progressed from the quarter-final into the gold-medal match.

Her Japan innings and India’s quarter-final team details are covered in India Women vs Japan Women Playing XI Today.

Nine Sixes Turn the Semi-Final

The most visually dramatic part of Shafali’s innings was the six-hitting. She cleared the boundary nine times, meaning more than half of her runs came from sixes alone. That allowed India to keep accelerating without relying on a constant stream of conventional fours.

Her final strike rate was 204.08, an exceptional number for an unbeaten century. Rather than reaching three figures by slowing down as the landmark approached, Shafali continued to attack deep into the innings and reached the hundred at the end of India’s 20 overs.

The innings also produced an interesting Indian T20I six-hitting milestone. Reports from the match noted that Smriti Mandhana initially reached 100 career T20I sixes during her innings before Shafali’s nine sixes moved her own career tally ahead.

Why This Shafali Verma Century Matters

A T20I century is significant in any match, but the context here makes this one particularly valuable. India entered the game as defending Asian Games champions and were one victory away from returning to the gold-medal contest. A poor semi-final would have ended their title defence regardless of what had happened earlier in the tournament.

Instead, Shafali’s innings changed the pressure of the match almost entirely. Bangladesh were not chasing 140 or 150 with the possibility of constructing an innings patiently; they needed 196 in a knockout match. Once India’s bowlers began taking wickets, that required rate became increasingly difficult to manage.

The 114-run winning margin ultimately showed how completely India controlled the match. Shafali provided the decisive batting platform, and the bowling attack converted it into one of the tournament’s most emphatic semi-final victories.

Another Knockout Performance Against Bangladesh

The timing of this innings is also noteworthy because Shafali had faced Bangladesh in another semi-final just ten days earlier. During the Women’s Asia Cup, she scored 64 from 40 balls as India won by 40 runs and progressed to the final.

The Asian Games meeting followed a similar broad pattern but on a much larger scale. Shafali again controlled the batting contest, this time converting her start into an unbeaten century, while India’s winning margin expanded from 40 runs to 114.

For a batter, repeatedly producing runs against the same opponent is useful; doing so in consecutive semi-finals is much more significant. These performances have made Shafali one of the central figures in India’s recent matches against Bangladesh.

India vs Sri Lanka in Asian Games 2026 Gold-Medal Match

India’s reward for the semi-final victory is a place in the women’s cricket gold-medal match against Sri Lanka on September 22. The fixture is a repeat of the 2023 Asian Games final, when India defeated Sri Lanka to win the women’s cricket gold medal.

For India, the objective is now straightforward: defend the title. For Shafali, the final provides another opportunity to extend a remarkable Asian Games run after scoring 40* against Japan and 100* against Bangladesh.

The tournament context, schedule and wider cricket coverage can be followed through Asian Games Cricket 2026.

Shafali Verma Century – Updated Key Facts

The Shafali Verma century has therefore become more than a breaking-news batting story. Her unbeaten 100 gave India the foundation for a 114-run semi-final victory, secured their place in the Asian Games 2026 final and delivered the first century in the history of the women’s cricket competition at the Games.

It also continues a remarkable run of knockout performances. Shafali followed 40* from 15 balls against Japan with 100* from 49 against Bangladesh, while her recent scores against Bangladesh across the T20 World Cup, Asia Cup and Asian Games underline how consistently she has influenced India’s biggest matches.

For more individual performances and career records, visit Players Stats. For the latest results, records and tournament developments, follow Cricket News Today.