Defending champions India Women aim to reach the Asian Games final when they face Bangladesh in the semifinal on September 20.

India won gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

They come into the match after an eight-wicket win over Japan in the quarterfinal.

Bangladesh advanced after their quarterfinal against China was abandoned because of weather.

The match begins at 10:30 am IST.

In that match, Japan were bowled out for 57 in 19.5 overs, with Sree Charani taking four wickets.

India then chased down the target in only five overs, with Shafali Verma hitting 40 off 15 balls.

Bangladesh reached the semifinal after their weather-affected quarterfinal against China was abandoned, and the higher-ranked side advanced without playing.

India are the strong favourites and have an unbeaten record in recent T20 matches, according to a match preview.

The two teams met earlier in September in the Women’s Asia Cup semifinal, where India won by 40 runs.

In that Asia Cup semifinal, Shafali Verma scored 64 and Deepti Sharma took three wickets for 26 runs.

India’s squad is led by Harmanpreet Kaur and includes Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh.

The match will be televised on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on SonyLIV.

The Asian Games officially opened on September 19, although women’s cricket matches began earlier in the week.

A preview of the match noted that dot balls were a concern for Bangladesh as they look to test the favourites.

India are aiming to reach a second consecutive Asian Games final in women’s cricket after their gold at Hangzhou.

The semifinal is scheduled for Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 10:30 am IST at the Korogi Sports Park in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games venues.

It is a Twenty20 match, and the winner advances to the gold medal match.

India Women are the defending champions, having won gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Cricket stadium (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

India Women routed Japan by 8 wickets in the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket quarterfinal, sealing their place in the semifinals.

Japan were bowled out for only 57 runs in 19.5 overs, with Sree Charani picking up four wickets for India.

India completed the chase in just five overs, led by Shafali Verma’s rapid-fire 15-ball 40.

Verma finished things off with a huge six, capping a dominant chase for the reigning champions.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s India Women now move into the semifinals, continuing their bid to defend their Asian Games title.

The quarterfinal was played at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, part of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games venues.

India enter the tournament as the defending Asian Games women’s cricket champions, having won gold in the previous edition.

The Asian Games 2026 officially opens on September 19, with several preliminary events, including cricket, already underway from September 18.

India’s cricket contingent also includes a men’s team competing separately in the tournament, alongside representation in soft tennis and teqball.

The Asian Games women’s cricket competition follows a knockout format from the quarterfinal stage onward, with the winner advancing directly to the semifinals.

India’s dominant win over Japan continues a strong recent run of form for the team heading into the knockout rounds of the tournament.

The 8-wicket margin reflects the scale of India’s dominance, with the bowling unit restricting Japan to a total India chased down with ease.

Japan Women were bowled out for just 57 runs in 19.5 overs, with Sree Charani finishing as India’s standout bowler with four wickets.

India chased down the target in only five overs, with Shafali Verma smashing an explosive 15-ball 40 to seal the match in style.

Verma finished the chase with a massive six off a full delivery, wrapping up the victory emphatically for the defending champions.

Cricket stadium (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

India and Afghanistan clash in the second T20I today in Delhi, with India holding a 1-0 series lead.

India won the first match by 7 wickets, chasing down Afghanistan’s total of 156 for 8 in just 13.4 overs.

Abhishek Sharma’s half-century powered India’s run-chase in the series opener.

The three-match series is being played entirely at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with the final game scheduled for September 17.

India would take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with a win in today’s match.

Afghanistan have shown steady improvement in T20 cricket in recent years, with several of their bowlers posing a genuine threat to top-order batters.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium, formerly known as Feroz Shah Kotla, has hosted numerous high-profile India matches across formats.

India’s T20I squad for the series includes several players who have also featured prominently in the ongoing Asian Games preparations.

A series victory in the second T20I would give India an unassailable 2-0 lead with one match still to play.

Afghanistan will be looking to bounce back after their heavy defeat in the series opener, needing a much-improved batting effort against India’s bowling attack.

The series comes as part of a busy international calendar for India across formats, with several other assignments scheduled in the coming months.

Delhi’s late-monsoon weather has occasionally affected outfield conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in September, though there were no reports of disruption to the series opener.

India’s team management has used bilateral T20I series like this one to assess bench strength ahead of major multi-team tournaments later in the year.

Ticket sales for the Delhi T20Is have reportedly been strong, reflecting continued fan interest in India’s home fixtures across formats.

India chased down Afghanistan’s total of 156 for 8 in just 13.4 overs in the series opener, a dominant run-chase that set the tone for the series.

Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0